From my family to yours, may this be a safe, prosperous, and happy new year! I find this new year beginning with many hopes and many fears. I hope that the peace brought forth by the birth of Christ carries through and we are able to achieve the peaceful kingdom that Christ sought when He walked among us and with us some two thousand years ago. But the violence in Kenya, the violence in Pakistan, the continuing violence in Iraq, the threat of violence in other parts of this world threaten that peace.
There are divisions between the people of this country; divisions brought about by race, economic status, creed, and sexuality. Each day it seems that the divisions grow bigger. Our leaders (both sectarian and secular) seek to widen the divisions, not remove them. Our leaders (both sectarian and secular) seek to use fear as a means of control. As this new year begins, I hope and pray that we will use the gifts that God has given us and we will see these leaders for what they really and truly are. And then we will say that enough is enough. We need to build, not destroy. We need to have hope, not fear.
A phrase that I have come to use more and more is “If we are who we say we are” and it is very much applicable. If we are who we say we are, then we will work to make the fulfillment of the Gospel message a reality. We will no longer drive people away from the church and its promise for the future but bring people in.
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On a personal note, I begin this year in less than an optimal economic status. I have placed a copy of my resume on another page of this blog. It may be like the proverbial “message in a bottle” and it will float through cyber-space without anyone reading it. On the other hand, it may be that someone sees it and some sort of positive action results. Let us hope for the later.
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Again, may this be a safe, prosperous, and happy new year for you and your family. May your path through life this year be with Christ and may others come to know Christ through your words, your deeds, your efforts, and your presence in life.
