President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, mother-in-law Marian Robinson, and daughters Malia and Sasha Obama arrived for the lighting of the National Christmas Tree at the White House on Thursday, Dec. , 1, 2011.
During the ceremony, the president briefly talked about the birth or Christ and encouraged Americans to unite.
Although many differences exist in the world, the president said that the message of Christ “can unite all of us on this holiday season.” As Obama explains, “We gather here not simply to light some decorations, but to honor a story that lights the world. [Christ was] a manifestation of God’s love for us [who became] a leader with a servant’s heart who taught us a message as simple as it is powerful: that we should love God, and love our neighbor as ourselves. That teaching has come to encircle the globe. It has endured for generations. And today, it lies at the heart of my Christian faith and that of millions of Americans. No matter who we are, or where we come from, or how we worship, it’s a message that can unite all of us on this holiday season.”
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Photos:Gettyimages/AP
