A New Year

I’ve seen so many posts on social media about people impatient to kick 2020 to the curb. It’s been a brutal year and they can’t wait to start 2021, reasoning that it has to be better.

I remember when 2020 began that I was praying and preaching that we receive renewed vision and clarity for who God asks us to be and how we are to live. Then when the pandemic hit I continued looking for that wisdom and what this ongoing event, among others, has to teach us. God can use anything to give us insight if we’re only paying attention.

The pandemic has provoked a number of responses, from renewed commitment to our communities, front-line workers and the elderly to hoarding toilet paper, ignoring science and perceived oppression. We have relied heavily on human systems to get us through and the cracks of our limitations are showing, as is the inequality present in society. Ruptures and violence from racial tension are just one example.

For those who eagerly want to turn the page and dismiss 2020, we could miss out on what it has to teach us. We could miss out on the reflection needed to better handle this continuing crisis and others that will surely come. We could miss out on our arrogance and what we feel we’re owed - long life, income, easy access to education and healthcare, others looking after us. None of those things are promised. Those of us who have them can take them for granted, often at the expense of billions of others on the planet.

2021 will demand that we, individually and as the church, re-think our priorities, including how much power we give to what and to whom. I’m looking forward to not having Trump being near the top of the daily news cycle, but beyond that I need to think carefully about the media I consume daily and good sources of information and spending more time with the Word as a lifeline in tough times. The church needs to continue to consider how to reach out when we’re back in a lock-down and how we can serve those outside and not just ourselves.

I don’t want to let go of 2020 just yet, because there is more for it to teach us. If we’re not willing to learn its lessons, to recognize the earth crying out to us or to acknowledge the impact of our choices, then we will not re-build a society that reflects Kingdom values and Christ’s priorities. As we look back on the year that was, may our vision be cleared, may we have insight, and may we commit not just to working to return to “normal” but to embracing a renewed vision of justice for all, including creation itself.

May the New Year be something embraced with intentionality and courage, with faith and utter devotion to our God who will show us the way.