It’s Christmas Day, and most people, regardless of religious affiliation, see this as a hopeful season. In the northern hemisphere, wintry darkness gave rise to various celebrations that have light at their center: Christmas and Hanukkah are only two of the best-known examples. Even the winter solstice signifies days offering more hours of sunlight, at last.

Politically, this has been a dark time, with wars raging on in Gaza and Ukraine and numerous conflict zones less prominent in western headlines — Myanmar, Sudan and Yemen among these.

Further, Americans are just emerging from a contentious campaign year. And worldwide, elections generally have up-ended the incumbent leadership in many countries, raising uncertainty and instability.

People have despaired at finding hope in all this fighting. But then on the morning of Dec. 8 in Syria, following a lightning-fast revolution, the ouster of the Assad family signaled that decades of harsh, dictatorial rule had come to a stunning end.

Without a doubt, the history of this moment won’t be written for years, even for generations. The Assads have fled to Russia, and leaders of the Syrian rebel group in the most prominent position, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), have indicated a preference now for moderation in forming a new government.

In the past, HTS has been regarded as a terrorist group, a branding that will take actions, not mere words, to remove for the long term. Rebellion and governance have requirements that don’t often align well, and creating the institutions that safeguard the rights of Syria’s diverse minorities demands persistent effort and real commitment.

Still, simply witnessing the joy of newly liberated people who have endured so much is encouraging, to be sure. They have hope for a better future, with a new year that offers them such promise.

Here at home, America is having its own make-it-work moment. Despite a partisan divide that is still sharply drawn, the advent of a second term for President-elect Donald Trump is being met, for now, with a bit more of wait-and-see rather than the broad resistance of 2017.

Naturally, protest is anticipated, based on the deportations and other radical changes that Trump has pledged to carry out. And some of his opposition seems more resigned to such changes than engaged with them.

But democracy is by definition a messy enterprise, and it won’t do to sit on the sidelines. As has been seen globally, simply holding elections is not the endpoint of democracy, sometimes serving only as a cover for an autocracy.

Retreating inward may seem like a natural reaction to a political outcome that disappointed about half this country, but it’s the least effective. The more enlightened path forward is to watch and listen to what’s proposed, and then to counter with a rational response.

Hawaii’s congressional representatives have the most direct routes to accomplish that, but everyone can contribute, often locally, to help meet community needs that arise.

And as the New Year approaches, America has a supportive role to play for the newly freed, such as those in Syria, and for those still suffering from violence to recover. Peace on Earth is the phrase so often used during these holidays; it is an elusive virtue to pursue.

But this definitely is the season to embrace that pursuit, whether the opportunity arises in the far-off Middle East or in our own back yard. So much about living in a complex world is wearying and distressing that the first green shoots of peace are to be celebrated.

Hope can be fleeting, but it also can be nurtured. At the very least, hope is a wonder, and we’re happy to have it, especially at this time.

Merry Christmas!