A New Year's Wish

In just over an hour, 2008 will be over for me. It's a strange world passing away into 2009. A year ago I would not have imagined that things would look as they do tonight. We have had an historic presidential election, a spectacular financial meltdown, and more violence and war. Many pundits and bloggers will have far too much too say on all this, and since everyone has opinions already, I won't burden the world with yet another.

What lays heavily on my mind is that the world does not rest in peace tonight, and the number of wars and human-caused disasters is so numerous that it staggers the imagination. Zimbabwe, East Congo, Sudan, Somalia, Isreal, Gaza, Iraq, Afghanistan, (and forgive me if I left you out)... sometimes it seems like whatever glue that holds civilization together has just fallen to dust. I'm not mentioning this to point any finger of blame. Rather, an observation I offer is that I wonder about the worldwide lack of forgiveness, humanity, kindness, compassion, humility and integrity. What ever happened to being the first person mature enough to say, “it doesn't matter that you've wronged me, I forgive you, let's end this before more innocents are hurt and killed.” Nobody seems big enough to do it.

What I wish for this world on New Year's Eve, while there is yet a half-hour left to 2008 (for me); I wish that everyone would put down their weapons. I wish that they would then extend a hand to their “enemy,” see their common humanity, put away their hatred, and instead offer each other some bread or a meal. I wish all people who had extra in their cupboards would open up the pantry and share with those who have gone to bed hungry recently. I wish that everyone who had an extra blanket would share it with someone who has none and is going to spend the night shivering. I want everyone to go to bed with a full stomach and a warm blanket, and get a good night's sleep. Maybe then, tomorrow will look different.

What I wish for is for each of us to put away our hate and our anger and our greed, and learn to love, and have compassion. I wish we could all stop evaluating the human worth of others in terms of their net worth. Evaluating people based on their net worth places a bank robber with his stolen loot at higher value than an innocent five-year-old girl. We need to rethink the way we value one another.

I especially hope that each of us finds a way to sacrifice a little of our own “justice” by acknowledging and loving and forgiving someone who has wronged us, especially if they do not deserve it. I want each of us to share our bounty with others; even if they don't smell good or we do not believe they “deserve” it. I do not think we know how to judge rightly anyway. We only assume we understand why people find themselves in need. But we are often wrong.

I wish everyone will have a good year, and maybe enough of us will spend the first day trying to give more than we take, trying to profit society instead of making a profit, and love one another for at least twenty-four hours. Especially if you have had enough to eat today and have a warm blanket and a secure place to lay down and rest tonight. For just one day, lets forget to hate.

For one year, forget about all the self-centered, self-involved resolutions. Let's resolve to love one another. Even better, take some extra time to learn about someone that deserves to be your enemy; find out if there is more to the story than you know. Focus on someone else. I wish for real peace, but it doesn't begin in the capitals of the world. It begins at the back fence. I won't hold my breath that world peace will break out tomorrow. But this is about wishing. I'm off to curl up in my soft, warm blanket. I am hugely grateful I can; there have been plenty of nights that I could not. I am grateful. Welcome, 2009.