(Editor’s note: While following Letters to the Editor is from a City of Orange Council Member, it is his opinion and not a representation of the Orange City Council as a whole.)

From one Orange City Councilman.

Let me begin by saying that I have given four years of my life as a missionary in Afghanistan proclaiming the name of Christ while surrounded by Muslims.  Today, I continue to live my life by the example that Christ gave us, as I raise my family and attempt to be a leader in Orange.

Recently, I have asked this question while thinking about the nativity scene.  What would Jesus do in this situation?  Would he be at City Hall demanding followers to line up next to him as we defend the nativity scene?

Let me digress into what I have experienced over the past 12 months in Orange before I give my opinion on his thoughts.  Close to five years ago, two organizations in Orange asked leaders from out of town to come in and lead their organizations.  One of these organizations was actually a church.  Throughout their leadership in Orange, both leaders were overwhelmed by the negativity within our community.  In fact, within the past 12 months both leaders have resigned their positions within our community because of the lack of support and the abundance of negativity within their organizations.

My wife and I are both public educators and every day we come face to face with the reality that some of our children are growing up in.  For starters, I’m amazed at the number of grandparents that are raising their grandchildren because their parents have abandoned them.  It makes me sick to see these commercials about saving a pet when I know how many of our children are hungry at night because their parents aren’t able to feed them.

I have lived in Austin for five years and traveled to 22 countries.  I chose to move back to Orange County because I believe in our community.  I ran for city council for one reason and that is because I want to be a positive leader in the midst of an overly negative world.

Back to my thoughts on what Jesus would do in our current situation.  I can’t help but think that he would be more concerned in how we treat one another.  I remember Jesus rebuking the Pharisees because of their worship of false idols.  He asked the question to his disciples as he picked up a cup: Is it more important for the inside of a glass to be clean or the outside?  Jesus message was about loving God with all of our heart and loving our neighbor as ourselves.  Our nativity scene is simply a tradition.  How we love Christ and love our neighbor is called Christianity.

Have a Merry Christmas and please be in prayer for all of the leaders within our county as we attempt to make wise choices.

Wayne Guidry

Orange