Every 365 days (or so) the earth makes one revolution around the Sun bringing us into a new year, which we greet with trememdous excitement and fanfare! The new year cuts off the cycle of the past 365 days and introduces us to the spectacle and sheen of newness, the energy of which is the energy of possibility, potential and opportunity.
For those of us who are active personalities we take this possibility, this potential, this opportunity and we continue to create and built using this energy to better our lives and forward the purposes we hold dear to our hearts and minds. For those of us who are less active and more re-active we wait and see what possiblities lie ahead of us and brace ourselves for the impact which newness and change always bring in their train.
A new year, just like a new day, new season, or new hour all have one thing in common: their newness, that sheen that did not appear before and was not possible with the faded patina of the old. Newness endows man with a fresh basin of hope, from which all his old dreams have evaporated. Everything new, refills this basin bringing new opportunities and additional possiblities which did not seem possible with the old. Sometimes the new communicates to man that the creator has not yet completely lost faith in its creation and that each new thing is an opportunity for man to redeem himself and his activity.
I can remember fewer years that I was more anxious to end than last year, 2011. After a rough 2010 we were hoping for the respite of a new year. But 2011 proved to be infinitely more contentious and divisive that any before it, in my memory. We saw the rise of the "Tea Party", a blight on the consciousness of American politics. We saw more children taken and their feeble and innocent little flames snuffed out by all manner of perverts, psychos, and sickos. We saw the Middle East awaken from a slumber none thought possible to break. We saw the financial crises deepen and more Americans finding themselves in places they never thought reserved for them. It was, in my opinion, a horrible year! But we did see the end of the Iraq war, that misfit and impetulant child born and bred during the Bush Administration. For this we cannot be too thankful!
I pray that this new year will bring a fresh spring of opportunity, potential and possibility unlike any before it. We need to recover, but I fear in times of great stress and strain such as America and the rest of the world are suffering now, we shrink back in fear and tighten the grip of authority which leds us into the bosom of fundamentalism and totalitarianism. I certainly hope the election of 2012 does not see America fall into the pit of religious fundamentalism, nor any other country for that matter.
I recently saw a documentary about Afghanistan after the Taliban and the many wars and occupations, which it suffered since the late 1970s. It's people were heavy with sadness and burdened with the awful strains and griefs that war produce. The program was about a singing competition much like American Idol. The people responded with an uproar and fervor at the return of music. The Taliban had outlawed music and singing. This was lifted in 2004-6 and the people responded ferociously. It seemed so much of their hopes and dreams lay with the introduction of the competition to their fledgling society. It was encouraging to see the light of hope that beamed in these peoples' eyes as they talked about the competition and its contestants. It became clear they saw the competition as more than just music but as a bringer of new life to their forsaken lands. It was amazing, all the energy that lay in their hopes and dreams for a better life through music.
And that is what the new year brings to us every 365 days-a new vessel for our hopes and dreams and new opportunity for our actions to consume and blossom. May this new year bring us closer to a better world. May we find ourselves better people. May we take advantage opportunities to help others without thought or care for reward and may the cracks and crevices of wickedness and evil be filled by an outpouring of love, the one for the other. Amen
For those of us who are active personalities we take this possibility, this potential, this opportunity and we continue to create and built using this energy to better our lives and forward the purposes we hold dear to our hearts and minds. For those of us who are less active and more re-active we wait and see what possiblities lie ahead of us and brace ourselves for the impact which newness and change always bring in their train.
A new year, just like a new day, new season, or new hour all have one thing in common: their newness, that sheen that did not appear before and was not possible with the faded patina of the old. Newness endows man with a fresh basin of hope, from which all his old dreams have evaporated. Everything new, refills this basin bringing new opportunities and additional possiblities which did not seem possible with the old. Sometimes the new communicates to man that the creator has not yet completely lost faith in its creation and that each new thing is an opportunity for man to redeem himself and his activity.
I can remember fewer years that I was more anxious to end than last year, 2011. After a rough 2010 we were hoping for the respite of a new year. But 2011 proved to be infinitely more contentious and divisive that any before it, in my memory. We saw the rise of the "Tea Party", a blight on the consciousness of American politics. We saw more children taken and their feeble and innocent little flames snuffed out by all manner of perverts, psychos, and sickos. We saw the Middle East awaken from a slumber none thought possible to break. We saw the financial crises deepen and more Americans finding themselves in places they never thought reserved for them. It was, in my opinion, a horrible year! But we did see the end of the Iraq war, that misfit and impetulant child born and bred during the Bush Administration. For this we cannot be too thankful!
I pray that this new year will bring a fresh spring of opportunity, potential and possibility unlike any before it. We need to recover, but I fear in times of great stress and strain such as America and the rest of the world are suffering now, we shrink back in fear and tighten the grip of authority which leds us into the bosom of fundamentalism and totalitarianism. I certainly hope the election of 2012 does not see America fall into the pit of religious fundamentalism, nor any other country for that matter.
I recently saw a documentary about Afghanistan after the Taliban and the many wars and occupations, which it suffered since the late 1970s. It's people were heavy with sadness and burdened with the awful strains and griefs that war produce. The program was about a singing competition much like American Idol. The people responded with an uproar and fervor at the return of music. The Taliban had outlawed music and singing. This was lifted in 2004-6 and the people responded ferociously. It seemed so much of their hopes and dreams lay with the introduction of the competition to their fledgling society. It was encouraging to see the light of hope that beamed in these peoples' eyes as they talked about the competition and its contestants. It became clear they saw the competition as more than just music but as a bringer of new life to their forsaken lands. It was amazing, all the energy that lay in their hopes and dreams for a better life through music.
And that is what the new year brings to us every 365 days-a new vessel for our hopes and dreams and new opportunity for our actions to consume and blossom. May this new year bring us closer to a better world. May we find ourselves better people. May we take advantage opportunities to help others without thought or care for reward and may the cracks and crevices of wickedness and evil be filled by an outpouring of love, the one for the other. Amen
This post brings a thought I had in my mind earlier this morning: what do we need to do to make things better for us on this planet?
ReplyDeleteHow much time do you have, lol?!?! Actually, there is only one to do that would have a profound effect, be better people! The rest would take care of itself.
ReplyDelete