Moving forward with hope, love, peace and joy | Clergy Corner - Woodland Daily Democrat

Can you believe that 2020 is almost upon us? In just a few short days we will be saying goodbye to one decade and we will be welcoming another.

As a child when I imagined 2020 I imagined some futuristic science fiction reality. Maybe an existence somewhere between the Jetsons and the movie Blade Runner. Not quite the dystopian reality of Blade Runner, but not as polished as the Jetsons.

Neither of these images of the future greet us as we enter 2020. We certainly don’t have the flying cars of either show. Flying cars or not 2020 is arriving.

As we end this decade it would be good for us all to pause for a moment and consider the reality that is before us. Where has life taken you these last ten years, and what do you hope for in the next decade? Looking back may not always be that fun.

Maybe this last year or even the last ten held pain and difficulty and for you forward is the only direction you want to consider. Maybe looking forward is a bit concerning, as we stand very much divided as a people and the hope for a better future is lost in all of the conflict.

Division and conflict certainly can seem like the order of the day and no end seems to be in sight. Even posting a thanksgiving recipe can turn into a long line of people arguing in the comments section of your Facebook post about grammas stuffing.

So what are we to do?

Well, as I stated before, we need to pause and consider. Even if painful, we should look back. So often we don’t like to look back, but looking back can be healthy in preparing for the future. In the looking back process, each one of us should spend some time looking at the successes, failures, and challenges that we faced during 2019 and during this last decade.

What can we learn from them? What portion of these experiences should we leave behind and what portion should we take with us into 2020 and beyond?

Whether an experience is a success, a failure, or a challenge it can contain within it a great deal of things that will grow us and make us stronger in the future. These are what we should hold onto and bring with us into 2020. These are the things that God can use to prepare us for the new things that are to come.

In looking back, we should also be thankful and we should count the many ways that God has blessed us over these last ten years. It is easy to see all of the negative that has happened in our world. Let’s be honest, it has been a wild year. Instead of seeing only these things that have caused us stress or pain, let’s pause and consider all of the wonderful amazing blessings that God has given us.

After looking back, after considering our blessings, we should certainly look forward.

Taking what we have learned, what has shaped us, and who we are as a result of this last decade it is time to launch into the next decade. While I’m not a big New Year’s resolution person, I think it is still good to make a few commitments or even choose a few words that might define our movement forward. It seems to me that what we could use in this world is hope, peace, love, and joy.

The four things that we celebrate during the season of Advent. Four things that our world is in desperate need of. So what if we all chose to allow these to define us? What if this next decade is not defined by division, conflict, and strife, but by hope, peace, love, and joy? What if we chose to extend these to our neighbors instead of angry insults, mean spirited Facebook comments, and constant division. What if in love we extended a hand up to our neighbor and a kind word?

There is no guarantee that what lies ahead will be easy for any of us. We certainly don’t know the highs and lows of the next decade, but if we lead out with hope, peace, love, and joy we will certainly be able to face what may come with the strength that these bring. Let me leave you with a new year’s prayer.

Dear God,

You are the God of new things. I thank you that you have blessed me with another year. You create and continue to create. You are the God of new creations in my life, in the life of our churches, and in our community. I ask you to show me what new things you want for me, my family, my church, God might you create in us that Advent spirit for the new decade. May we shine forth your love, hope, peace, and joy into our community and beyond.