New Indeed

The New Year is here!!

As usual, many will determine what to do with this coming year. Some will make a vow or resolution of what they are gonna do and what they are gonna quit.

To me, it's not just a time of new resolutions but a review of past accomplishments. The review is not so that I can give myself a pat on the back(not an easy thing to do). Rather, I give praise to Him who makes all things possible. I realized a long time ago that my strength is limited and I am vulnerable in many ways. If I made it through that year I must have acquired some help from on high.

On my trip to this country, I looked through the window past the grey clouds and beheld amazing scenaries. It gave me such awe and wonder to behold the glorious works of God. Unlike other oblivious passengers it was an intense moment for me. How so vulnerable we are in this human tents that are here today and tomorrow are not. Just like the flower that fades away or the grass that withers away.

Like the teacher, I see no new thing under the sun. All there is has been before. Our vain labor is just the toil that takes our life away. If we look out of the box and pause from the rat race of our daily endeavors. The changing times and the endless toil should bring us to acknowledge our weakness and finiteness. Yet in all this vanity the 6 billion people across the planet wake up with a new hope, a desire for something new. I guess Saddam must have felt the same this morning, before he went to the noose. We all hope some strange twist in life will make us better of tomorrow.

That is the mystery the new year holds. Everyone hopes for the best and everybody thinks, a little more determination, a little more hard work. A little more this or that can make some difference. But to what extent in this world run by systems of men whose creed is their greed. Prejudiced policy makers that make us dance to the tunes of their music. Corrupt world systems that seek their own good. Men that spend a lifetime to ensnare others in their machinations. The list is endless and the cares enormous. We may as well start another year of gloom and doom.

Yet there is hope within all men's heart. A longing and a yearning that the finest wine will not sustain the best liqour will not quench. All the monies in the world cannot buy the satisfaction that our souls long for. Driving the best car is just another fantasy that comes and goes, being in the best body shape a flattery that enslaves. All these dreams escape our grasp as water in a tight fist.

There is only one way to enjoy a new year, indeed a new life. That mystery is Christ in us the hope of glory. He transforms and renews from the inside out. Fills and satisfies even the most of depraved minds.

If a man be in Christ he is a new creation, the past is gone and the new has come. Yes the new year can bring real songs of joy and hope and strength and confidence and elements that cannot be bought with monies.