Too often these days invoking the name of Jesus or claiming Christian religion has become an escape from responsibility for plainly un-Christian behavior. Are Christians forgiven for everything because they find ways to blame others for their own actions? Perhaps the meaning of Christmas is something else, extending an idea of the good rather than defending what is plainly bad, and perhaps a Christmas greeting is a way to affirm others rather than claiming all righteousness for ourselves. Merry Christmas.

Timothy Snyder is a historian at Yale University, specializing in eastern Europe, totalitarianism, and the Holocaust. His books have received widespread acclaim. His most recent book, "On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century," explores the everyday ways a citizen can resist the authoritarianism of today. He is also the author of "Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning" and, forthcoming in April, "The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America."

Follow on Twitter: @TimothyDSnyder