On New Year’s Eve I asked the readers of this blog to think about what this next year might bring, and how each one of us might live differently. I gave a few examples of what I hope to be able to do, and so far, I did a little bit of them. What about you? How is your new year going? The first 7 days seem a lot like last year to me, from a national and global perspective. Wars are continuing and being started – some people are making bad decisions, and some people are making a positive difference. The world continues to spin and circle the sun, and the moon is still where it needs to be. In many ways, nothing has changed.
In some ways, though, much has changed. I spoke not too long ago with a guy our church has helped in the past with food and rent – a man who struggles with sobriety and family relationships – a man who is a good person with bad luck and, sometimes, worse common sense. He is also a man who has decided to take the steps he needed to change his life; he is taking college classes and going to AA every morning. He is trying to make amends with his children and the people he hurt along the way. He told me something that made my eyes leak a little bit – he said that the help our church gave him, which wasn’t really all that much, changed his life. Not because it made him wealthy or pulled him out of debt, but because we cared enough and believed in him enough to trust him with our hard-earned money. We believed that he was telling the truth about wanting to live a better life. He was grateful that we were praying for him. His new year is going pretty well, so far. Mine too.
I can protest and make calls and speak up against the things I think are wrong in this country, and I can give money to worthy causes that help people. Those things matter, and I will continue to do them – but for me, being part of a faith community that helps people every day makes this a great new year. Knowing that the members and friends of this congregation care about people in trouble as much as they care about people who are doing well makes every day worth living. Making a positive difference in someone’s world makes this a great new year. What have you done to make someone’s life better? No worries – the year is only starting its second week, so there’s plenty of time left to change someone’s world. Better get to it.
Prayer – Holy God, You have created us to care for others – may this new year bring about a renewal that puts love over hate. Amen.
Today’s art is “Compassion” by Mario Sanchez Nevado.