As the clamor of the holiday season has faded once more into hopefully happy memories of light and joy, we turn now and look to the future, as we step into the New Year of 2017.
There are many special days for us individually that cause us to pause and reflect on what has happened in our lives and what may be yet to come, but as we hang our new calendars on our walls, and try to remember to write 2017 in our checkbooks, we have a chance to collectively contemplate as we celebrate.
Looking back over 2016, we can remember both times of celebration and times of sadness and difficulty. Thinking firstly of celebrations, 2016 was the first year during which child mortality rates fell substantially across the globe. 2016 was also the year during which the nations of the world gathered together in Rio to celebrate their sporting achievements. Speaking of sporting achievements – the Chicago Cubs broke their 108 year dry spell by winning the World Series in Game 7!
Unfortunately as well as being able to reflect joyfully on these and many other events, during 2016 the world was repeatedly distressed by the continuing conflict in Syria with its resulting humanitarian crisis, as well as by the terrorist attacks in Orlando, Europe and the Middle East which, amongst many others around the world, have resulted in the loss of so many innocent lives.
As we step into 2017, we may ponder to ourselves what news the next twelve months will bring both in our own lives and in the wider world. Amid our wonder and our apprehension, perhaps we should greet 2017 with the words of this poem by M. L. Haskins in our hearts and minds:
And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: “Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.” And he replied: “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light, and safer than a known way.” So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.”
May our New Year bring us closer to God, who walks beside us on our pilgrimage of life, and a Happy New Year to you all.