The Christmas message of “peace on Earth” is a heavier lift this year than in some years past. There is now turmoil on every front — internationally, domestically, in our communities and even within some families.

The war in Ukraine continues as the tough Ukrainian people refuse to surrender to the Russian invaders. Masked federal agents are detaining and deporting not just the bad guys, but hardworking contributors to our society — even some who have done everything right. Mass shootings in Australia and Rhode Island have shaken our sense of security as we go about our daily lives.

And our belief in the sanctity of our homes and families has been shaken by the murders of Rob and Michele Singer Reiner — beloved entertainers and solid human beings by any account. Their son Nick has been charged with their murders.

We have hit rough stretches before, and at times we have relied on our leaders for some reassurance that we can handle these crises, usually with a strong message about not losing hope.

When President Donald Trump gave a televised prime-time address to the nation last week, he could have done that. He could have announced that America was now going to stand with Ukraine on the side of liberty and the dignity of humankind. He could have announced he would only deport bad guys, as he originally promised, and invoked the Christmas story about there being no room at the inn for Joseph, Mary and the Christ child. He could have said that he was going to use his considerable leadership skills to finally explore sensible gun safety. Or he could have used a couple of minutes to apologize to the family and friends of the Reiners for his crude public response to their deaths.

He embarrassed America with his total lack of compassion. Instead, in a 20-minute stream-of-consciousness presentation, Trump told us everything bad about America is somebody else’s fault and everything good is because of him.

It is clear that we will all have to rely upon ourselves and our loved ones to capture the Christmas spirit this year. Christmas carols and hymns can help, and many of them talk about “peace on Earth.” The lyrics to “Let There Be Peace on Earth” are a good start: “Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me. / Let there be peace on Earth, the peace that was meant to be.”

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s 1863 poem “Christmas Bells” — which became the Christmas carol “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” — started with the despair of hearing church bells on Christmas Day during the Civil War. But it ended with a message of hope: “Then pealed the bells, more loud and deep: ‘God is not dead, nor doth He sleep; / The Wrong shall fail, The Right prevail, / With peace on Earth, good-will to men.’ ”

And you will be uplifted listening to Darlene Love sing “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” an annual tradition that she started on David Letterman’s show in 1986 and repeated last week on “The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon.” When announcing the performance on social media, Love said, “With everything going on in the world right now, it feels more important than ever to hold on to the Christmas spirit. Music has always been my way of warming hearts and lifting spirits, and I truly believe we all need a little Christmas right now.

“Let’s come together, keep the light shining and let the music remind us of hope, love and the true spirit of the season.”

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