The tragic events that occurred in Melbourne on Thursday were a sad, and unwanted, reminder that 2017 has not been an easy year for thousands of people around the world.
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We have seen multiple terror attacks, wars in the Middle East, the heightened risk of the resumption of a decades-old conflict on the Korean peninsula, uncertainty arising from tensions between the US and China, and the continuing impact of climate change.
Australians have seen poverty and homelessness on the rise as wages stagnate and living costs, especially those linked to the cost of electricity and fuel, soar.
There has been a divisive, but necessary, national debate over marriage equality, and efforts to achieve constitutional recognition for indigenous Australians, the most disadvantaged single group in the country, have come to naught.
Leaders, whether political, corporate or religious, have all been under fire for failing to honour their commitments and responsibilities. "Ordinary" citizens often have been left wondering why there always seems to be one set of rules for them and another for the rich, powerful, famous and just blatantly self-important.
In short, 2017 has been a year in which cynicism, distrust and fear have all had excellent opportunities to thrive.
This is why, as Christmas draws near, we should pause to reflect on the meaning of an event that has grown far beyond a Christian festival.
Because it has become the custom to mark this season with an orgy of consumption that all too often leaves us with expanded waistlines and depleted bank accounts, the real significance of Christmas is easily overlooked.
That is that this is a time for hope and joy regardless of whether or not we believe the birth of Jesus marked the arrival, if only for a short space, of God on earth in human form more than 2000 years ago.
The Christmas narrative works equally well as the basis for a deeply held religious belief and as an engaging fable reaching out towards a larger truth.
It offers the hope our tomorrows do not have to be the same as our yesterdays; that the world can get better from one year to the next and that the only true antidotes to sorrow, need and suffering are love, hope, generosity and compassion.
The Christmas narrative, which is bookended by the more sombre Easter story, tells us hate should be met with love, violence should be met with gentleness and that anger, so often a product of fear, should be met with compassion.
While many of us are bitter and angry about what happened on Flinders Street on Thursday it would be a grievous mistake to let that knee-jerk reaction define our national response.
Today, more than ever, we need to embrace Australia's Afghan community, whose members, like the rest of us, are horrified at what has occurred.
Inclusion and acceptance is the best way to minimise the risk of future incidents. Anger, hatred and alienation will only make the problems worse.
