Happy New Year?

Honestly, we need happiness this year. The global picture is so gloomy. I foresee increasing conflicts in Africa, the Middle East, Russia, Europe and Asia. I want to be optimistic, but the global tension is too great to be ignored. 

On the domestic front I foresee increasing racial and political tribalism. Already we have battle lines drawn with changes in Congress. I foresee major conflicts between the Executive and Congress, both branches of government. The anti-police rhetoric in New York and other cities is not a healthy sign for a prosperous New Year.

However, amidst the gloom, we must make room for a Happy New Year. In 2015, we expect thousands of students to graduate from a wide variety of institutions. We expect thousands to own homes and thousands more to become legitimate American citizens. We expect thousands to make positive career changes. We also expect thousands to experience life changing spiritual conversions. In essence, 2015 will be a year of hope for many Americans. 

Let us build on this hope – it is much more than wishful thinking. Saya Hillman, a Martin Luther King scholarship recipient was correct when he said, “We could not survive if we could not dream, for it is our ability to dream that sustains us in the most wretched times.”

According to Hal Lindsay, “Man can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air...but only for one second without hope.” The New Year brings new hopes and aspirations. It is a declaration that the old has gone and the new has come.

For me, 2015 will provide new adventures to enjoy, new memories to create and new relationships to establish. I will not wait to see if these will come my way – I intend to pursue opportunities that are different, bringing freshness and renewal. 

A number of studies have found that this approach to life brings significant benefits, including improved physical health and better coping strategies. People who take time to reflect-on and celebrate their successes are generally more optimistic, take better care of themselves and tend to be less stressed. Celebrations increase people’s sense of well-being, regardless of socioeconomic factors, education, age or gender.

Like you, I have debt – far too much for my age. However, I would not allow my debt to hinder my need to celebrate. There are far more reasons to celebrate than to cry. In 2015 there will be birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and a wide variety of achievements.  

For 2015 I intend to use every means possible to live as a victor and not as a victim. My wife and I will use our dining table to encourage, to embolden and to bring cheer to as many as possible. We have a plan to reach out to others who may find it difficult to come to us. We will continue to use the phone, electronic mail and every device possible to announce that 2015 must be lived as a happy New Year. 

This reflection on New Year reminds me of what Jesus said to some Pharisees who challenged Him: “And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins” (Luke 5:37-38).

When Jesus spoke, there was no such thing as a bottle, as we know it. Bottles were made of animal skins. When new, these skins had a certain amount of elasticity. As they grew old, they became hard and unyielding. 

The new wine to which Jesus referred, was still fermenting – it gave off gases. These gases caused pressure, and if the skin was new it would yield to the pressure. But if the skin was old and hard and dry, the wine will explode and everything would be lost. 

In essence, Jesus was pleading for a certain amount of elasticity in our thinking. He was giving to the Pharisees a newness that could not be contained in their old ways of thinking. By using the illustration of the bottle, Jesus was acknowledging that there was a period of usefulness. However, that mindset, although formerly useful, needed to change to accommodate a new way of thinking.

In 2015, Jesus would be saying to us, whereas earlier decades may have been great, 2015 requires a new way of thinking – do not be afraid of new adventures. The challenges will be diverse and will require more intentional efforts to be different.
Like religious scholar Huston Smith, Jesus would most likely say that in 2015, “the human spirit is being suffocated by a dominant materialistic worldview.” The feeling that faith is not necessary in a world of science is an ill-advised worldview for anyone anticipating a meaningful Happy New Year.