Are we each working to make our world a better place? This season is a good time to ask.

Happy holidays, dear readers.

This season is a time to come together. To celebrate our long-held traditions and beliefs. To share in the joy of this time of year. The decorations, the food, the songs, the TV specials, the gatherings and more invite one and all to set aside our differences and promote a better world, a more loving world, a more peaceful world.

No matter our differences, it seems possible that maybe we can come together at least for the holidays. The narrative of the season at least suggests that.

In the Gospel of Luke, an angel appears before shepherds announcing the birth of Jesus wishing peace on earth to men.

We see that message pop up in secular songs. Many of the other winter holidays also share messages of hope, peace, family and perseverance, which help make up this holiday narrative and spirit.

We like to believe that Kansans by nature embody a lot of what this season promises. We’re known for being neighborly. We’re a state known for hospitality and pragmatism.

We have fun. We enjoy our celebrations. We’re certainly spirited.

So Kansas, in that spirit, we invite you to think about the following.

How can we be better neighbors to one another?

How can we be better citizens?

How can we be better stewards of the land we call the Sunflower State?

Better Republicans?

Better Democrats?

Better Wildcats, Jayhawks, Shockers, Ichabods or other sports fan?

How can we work together despite our differences?

How can we put aside our petty differences to make Kansas a better place in 2023 than it was in years prior?

What are we doing that might be hurting rather than helping?

How can we support one another when times of joy and in times of hardship?

Can we be a bit more charitable to our so-called enemies or rivals?

Who can we work with knowing we won’t agree on everything but can unite with for a common good?

Who is in need of the most help here in Kansas and what can we do to assist them?

How can we be an example to others?

Sit with these questions for a bit. Surely at least one or two of them might call out to you. Certainly all of them are things each of us could act upon as we head into 2023. Carry that spirit of the holiday with you.

Do what you can in your corner of Kansas to bring peace on earth.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Are we each working to make our world a better place? It's time to ask