It’s a cruel world, babe, as my wise father used to say. Indeed. Wonder what he would say about this recent newsflash: Christmas is canceled in Bethlehem. I am not making this up. It’s the honest-to-God awful truth in this incredibly messed up world of ours. There’s no Christmas in Bethlehem this year. For real. With war raging between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, all holiday bets are off. Too much grief and devastation to justify any sort of festivities, even in the Holy Land. Some have dubbed it a “muted” Christmas. Hold the merry. Last month, a teaser headline about the Christmas cancellation showed up in my NYT digital…