For the past few weeks, TV news programs and online feeds have featured encouraging updates on COVID vaccines.

There is new hope that the worst is over. Science and private industry have worked together to create products that could do a lot to vanquish the spread of the disease, but many people don’t want to take the vaccine.

In black communities, the history of the Tuskegee Institute experiments, which used black men without their consent to test drugs for syphilis, has prompted many minorities to be understandably wary.

Many people, especially older folks who remember the advent of polio immunization programs, believe that such a breakthrough should take much longer.

Of course, the messaging from the White House and examples of the Trump administration has created a lot of confusion.

To make the idea of getting vaccinated more desirable, key influencers have been stepping forward to take their shot in the arm publicly. They’ve talked about recent past presidents — Obama, George W, and Bill Clinton — getting together to televise their injections as if it was a reunion tour for the Three Tenors.

This has made me contemplate the strange fascination and power many Americans give to celebrities. I had to chuckle when, during a recent excursion to the grocery store, I was greeted at their sliding glass door with a poster of Santa Claus wearing a mask (not N95 grade but properly covering his nose and mouth).

Why would people believe Donald Trump or Tucker Carlson, who have no background in infectious diseases and not listen to Dr. Fauci who has been relied on by presidents in both parties as a prized health advisor?  Would people be more likely to believe Santa Claus?

Obviously, some people put more stock in where (who) they get their information from than whether the information they’ve been provided makes any sense.

When people can see the statistics of where COVID cases have been increasing and where cases and deaths have been decreasing, noting the correlation between masking, hand-washing, and social distancing, it’s been hard for me to comprehend why people insist on sticking with stories told by political leaders or radio personalities rather than truth they could research themselves.

If Americans fear being misled by the media, all they have to do is check related health statistics in other countries. New Zealand, which, granted, benefits from occupying an isolated corner of the world, has enforced scientific guidelines and practically has eradicated the disease. Why would New Zealanders lie to us about their success?

This time of social restrictions has become a time of contemplation for me. I’ve been looking at different messages that I’ve assumed to be true because I’ve believed them for so long. Still, I know I can change a belief at any time because it doesn’t make sense to me or because it no longer applies.

I think of the image at my neighborhood grocery store, the smiling Santa in a mask.

I think about the pandemic and about the tendency of many to give so much influence and authority to culture icons who are only offering opinions. If someone wants to give power to someone else to shape  their beliefs, it probably doesn’t matter if it’s Donald F or LeBron or Beyoncé. I choose to look at evidence and to listen to my own heart.

I think about Christmas; about the story of the child in the manger, about faith, about miracles, about the openness of people to receive and celebrate good news.

I was not raised in a household that thinks of the Christmas holiday as marking the birth of the messiah. But, it’s a meaningful day, nonetheless.

In 2015, it was estimated that Christians make up just over 30% of the world’s population. Yet, Christmas is celebrated throughout the world, even in countries that do not have predominantly Christian populations. Why?

I believe, everyone understands compassion, justice, courage, diligence, faith, humility, love, and respect. This is a wonderful time to hold these ideals closely and know that they’re universally shared.

Some people have a personal relationship with Jesus, but, whether or not you do, I believe most people can rally around these virtues and the longing for peace — inside each person and out in the world.

Focusing on the message, not the messenger, is no small thing.