The new year, 2024, has dawned, and has prompted me to think about 2023 and what lies ahead. No resolutions or singing Old Lang Syne with drunken friends. Nor did I watch the big ball drop at the stroke of midnight in Times Square or shoot off fireworks. Boring, I know, but January 1st is just another day, no more profound than any other day, but no less profound, either. For some, 2023 was a banner year, and for far too many it was the opposite. Based on various polling, it appears that many of us look to the future with a bit of trepidation as uncertainty looms in every sphere of our personal and collective lives. Fear, mistrust, disunity, anger and hostility in what were once peaceful places has replaced feelings of security and optimism.

However, I believe we know intuitively that physiologically abandoning ship is not a good option. We cannot lose hope for a better tomorrow. At the same time, I believe it is imperative that we understand our earthly lives are transient. As the Apostle James stated, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while then vanishes.” A realistic perspective is vital in moving forward during the coming year; not a doomsday outlook, but an honest one.

Evanescent is an apt word to describe our world and our existence. The literary definition means “something that will soon be passing out of sight, memory, or existence: quickly fading or disappearing: a shimmering evanescent bubble”. The physics’ definition denotes “a field or wave that extends into a region where it cannot propagate and whose amplitude therefore decreases with distance”.

There is nothing particularly special about these photographs, except for how they tie into the definition as stated above. Most everyone has seen clouds pass-by overhead. Eventually, they will dissipate into atmosphere, seen no more. Ocean waves, even Tsunami size waves, eventually dissipate and recede to the body of water they came from with their energy depleted…placidness.

For every sunset there is a sunrise. For every cry there is a laugh. For every valley there is a peak. For every desert there is an oasis. For every tragedy there is miracle. For every broken heart there is a healing salve. And, for every death there is new life. I could expound further, but that’s not necessary. What is imperative, at least in my mind, is that I have come to understand the brevity of life as well as the daily opportunity to experience it sublimely.

I readily acknowledge that I am not living in a war zone nor in extreme poverty nor under oppression. So, many may say that what I have espoused thus far is pollyannish thinking, and I understand this reaction. I also acknowledge that I don’t know how I would react while experiencing such horrific conditions. Like all of you, I have had my share of trials and triumphs this past year, although the trials did seem to be more abundant. But this is a very biased comment. Truth be told, I am blessed in so many ways that I don’t deserve.

Hopelessness is like a cancer as it slowly destroys our souls, dimming our inner light and leaving us bitter and empty. The world is a mess. To say otherwise would be in denial of the obvious. And we can do little to change it in the grand scheme of things. Not what we want to hear, but I believe this is the truth. There is good news, though. I came across this quote yesterday which was made by an anonymous French priest, “God doesn’t ask you to change the world. He asks you to do something much more difficult-to change yourself”. We can attend seminars, devore self-help books, join social media groups, make new year resolutions, etc., but to what avail? I believe the only way for self-change to stick, to be truly successful, is to seek help from the One who knows us most intimately. And, if we allow God to assist us in changing for the better, our world will be affected positively.

Happy New Year !