2008
2008 is already here. Some have been inviting her since 2007's resolutions fell through the cracks, while others, like myself, did not welcome her with open arms. I don't resent '08 - it's just that I left so much undone in 2007 and it depresses me to think that yet another year has escaped my grasp like a water balloon coated in baby oil.
But wherever you go, there you are, so here we are in January of the new year.
I want to talk about resolutions.
My initial knee-jerk reaction when someone brings up this subject is to say, "I don't believe in new year's resolutions." But, unfortunately, the presence or lack of my belief in something does not define its existence.
Instead I should say, "I think when people make new year's resolutions they are trying feebly to become something that they desire to become, but never will become. Resolutions are empty promises, much like those of an absent father who says to his young son that something came up this time, but he'll visit next weekend."
Bleak, I know.
My seemingly cynical outlook on this matter stems from a fairly simple idea I try to put into practice: don't make promises you can't keep, either to yourself, others or to God.
I guess this fairly simple idea comes from an even simpler, yet more profound, idea:
"Let your yes be yes and no, no."
I honestly wish I could say that I think this year will be better than the last, but I don't know if I can. This isn't because I think the world is in a downward spiral - I simply think some good things will happen and some bad things will happen as they do every year. For example: a fresh, eager politician will be elected this year as the next leader of the U.S., but we'll also see more headlines than we care to remember that will read "So-and-so was raped, kidnapped, shot to death...(fill in your favorite juicy news buzzword here)."
All this to say that I sincerely hope and pray that this year we can bring God's kingdom just a little bit closer to Earth.
May God grant us grace and shalom because we, God's children, are in desperate need of both.
But wherever you go, there you are, so here we are in January of the new year.
I want to talk about resolutions.
My initial knee-jerk reaction when someone brings up this subject is to say, "I don't believe in new year's resolutions." But, unfortunately, the presence or lack of my belief in something does not define its existence.
Instead I should say, "I think when people make new year's resolutions they are trying feebly to become something that they desire to become, but never will become. Resolutions are empty promises, much like those of an absent father who says to his young son that something came up this time, but he'll visit next weekend."
Bleak, I know.
My seemingly cynical outlook on this matter stems from a fairly simple idea I try to put into practice: don't make promises you can't keep, either to yourself, others or to God.
I guess this fairly simple idea comes from an even simpler, yet more profound, idea:
"Let your yes be yes and no, no."
I honestly wish I could say that I think this year will be better than the last, but I don't know if I can. This isn't because I think the world is in a downward spiral - I simply think some good things will happen and some bad things will happen as they do every year. For example: a fresh, eager politician will be elected this year as the next leader of the U.S., but we'll also see more headlines than we care to remember that will read "So-and-so was raped, kidnapped, shot to death...(fill in your favorite juicy news buzzword here)."
All this to say that I sincerely hope and pray that this year we can bring God's kingdom just a little bit closer to Earth.
May God grant us grace and shalom because we, God's children, are in desperate need of both.
posted by kevin at 10:42 PM
1 Comments:
amen and amen. may we bring the kingdom.
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