Happy New Year
Seventy years ago, just after the outbreak of World War 2, in his Christmas Message to the nation, King George VI quoted from the poem “The Desert”, by Minnie Louise Haskins:
“And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year:
“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”
And he replied:
“Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
King George felt that these words would be a support and an inspiration to the people of Great Britain as they stood on the edge of an abyss, unsure of what lay ahead and with the memories of the “war to end all wars” still very fresh in their minds – and, indeed, that seemed to be the case. The BBC was inundated with queries about the poem, and about the author of words which resonated so strongly with the people of this country at that particular time in their history.
But then that’s the thing about a new year, isn’t it? We’re all standing on the edge of the unknown in many ways.
Of course, it’s not totally unknown. There’ll be dates in the diary already. Many of them will be things to look forward to – I’ve got my son’s wedding at the end of January and a holiday in September to anticipate with great joy and excitement. Alternatively, the dates already committed to the calendar for some may be for hospital appointments or elective surgery – not really things to look forward to.
None of us can know what a new year might bring and that’s where faith comes in, as Louise Haskins so poignantly reminds us. No problem then, you might say, for Christians, having faith is easy – but is it?
As well as being Christians we’re very human and very fallible. We like to feel in control of what we’re doing, and when our life seems to spin out of control it is those very feelings of helplessness, bewilderment and inadequacy that over-ride everything else. We may well have the words of the Creed that we say each week to remind us what we believe in, but it isn’t always easy to hold onto that when our faith is tested - and for some of us, and for those we love, our faith may well be tested as this year unfolds.
This coming year will undoubtedly bring a mixture of the bitter and the sweet, the joys and the sorrows of life, for all of us. Some of us may have to watch a relationship falling apart whilst others experience the joy of an engagement or a wedding, some of us may have to mourn the death of a loved one and others will rejoice as new life enters the world and the family is enriched, some will face the anxiety of knowing that they, or a member of their family, is about to face redundancy, with all the emotional and financial worries that are part of that, whilst others celebrate a new beginning, a first job or a promotion.
Whatever this new year may hold for you, I pray that you will travel through the year with your hand in God’s hand, so that he can guide and guard you through the difficult times as well as sharing the joys and happiness of the good with you.
A very happy and healthy 2010 to you all.
Added: 31st December 2009 || Submitted by: Revd Pat Lodge.
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