Here we are, the first day of the New Year, and we must ask ourselves: What has changed? What will change? Well, of course, the Presidency will change, not just the man who will occupy the White House, but, most likely, the Presidency itself.
The wars throughout the world continue, New Year or not: Sudan, Somalia, Ukraine, and the morass in Gaza-Palestine-Israel—and the rest of it. Policies of aggression and death didn’t stop at midnight.
What will change is, inexorably, the climate. It will get hotter, storms will become more violent, and more species in nature will disappear, as people and leaders, including ours, barrel relentlessly along toward a world that is more uninhabitable for many.
But it’s still the Christmas Season, yes, that time after we celebrated the birth of a child born to give us hope. Hope, however, must be accompanied by action, and as we enter this New Year, we cannot let the nay-sayers rule. With faith, we must seize the future.
Prayer for the Day
May we continue us sing the songs of angels and shepherds,
The promise of God’s grace and of a new world;
Possessed of more than plenty in our homes and at our tables,
Let us be bold and not timid in sharing our gifts with others.
Plant in the heart of our nation a new way to live,
Sharing peace, mercy, and justice to all.
In the name of the One who opens possibilities in our lives,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
If the gospel we preach does not address the evil that oppresses people, then it is not good news for everyone.
Dennis Edwards, pastor and teacher, from Might from the Margins
It's time for greatness -- not for greed. It's a time for idealism -- not ideology. It is a time not just for compassionate words, but compassionate action.
Zadie Smith, British novelist and author
God has taken place in the divine council; in the midst of gods, God holds judgment:
“How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked?
Give justice to the weak and the orphan; maintain the right of the lowly and destitute.
Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the oppressor.
Psalm 82: 1-4