Monday, January 4, 2016

Goodbye 2015! Hello 2016!

A new year.
A brand new, right out of the box year.
A fresh start.
A new beginning.
However you want to characterize it, 2015 is done and over, and 2016 has just begun.

Wall Street is happy--if you can believe the business section of the newspaper.  2015 was a less than stellar year when it came to the stock market.  Maybe 2016 will be more bullish.

Washington is happy--2015 was something of a political nightmare, but with elections coming up maybe power will shift in significant ways.  Those who are out may be in.

Yes, 2015 is over.  Thank God!  (Or so say many folks.)  But really, what makes anyone think 2016 will be better?  Don't get me wrong.  I hope it will be better.  I hope we will pay more attention to vital issues like addressing poverty in meaningful ways, giving the environment some much needed attention, curbing our violent tendencies, dealing with our deep-seated prejudice and biases.  I hope all that will happen.  But I've hoped the same things in years past, and where's that gotten me?  Where's that gotten us?

Yet, I still hope.  Because I believe, deep in my soul, that God is at work.  And slowly, surely, if we will only learn to pay attention to the divine prodding within, we can have a better 2016.  If we will only give over our very lives to living the way of Jesus, truly loving God and neighbor, I believe we can see changes in how we function as a society and a world.  And the best place to start--the only place I can start--is with me.  God help us all!



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