A New Year, A New Outlook for 2021

 REVCATHY’s BLOG Post  January 8, 2021

January 6 is recognized as Feast of the Epiphany

or the day we remember the Wise Men offering gifts to Jesus. It is a day of celebrating by Orthodox Christians as they celebrate Jesus’ birth and normally have large gatherings for worship and food.

This year was a day when words cited by news writers included, coup, insurrection, and of course now we hear of the call for impeachment of the POTUS (President of the United States). The rationale for this was to impede what is considered traditional electoral vote casting by senators to approve the election results from November.

But, what else are we reflecting upon this first week of the New Year where we find calendar boxes empty and waiting for plans to be made in the year to come?  We are thinking and praying for the many people across the province testing positive for covid19. We are also lifting up in prayer those who have died in the last week from this virus. And we are praying for those whose loved ones have died and are grieving.  The front line workers and hospital leaders, the health unit staff and all affected by these deaths and positive cases need to be reminded that we are grateful for their service in helping others. But this is not a strategy to combat the virus. We need to do what health unit medical directors have asked us to do—stay home.

There is a need for hope to help to sustain us. These are January days of winter when the temperatures drop and we would normally be enjoying outdoor activities in the snow. But so far in the Windsor Essex area, what have we witnessed—grey sky and no snow. And the only thing we can do is go for a walk and staying socially distant from others.

But there are matters to attend to in our lives. Life does continue and we are not people who sit for hours on end. We like to be entertained, to learn and to share our creative moments with others. Yet are we doing this to the extent we could?

Many people are back to a work schedule, children and youth are now doing online learning and the tasks of each day do not stop. There is always food preparation and laundry to do. Do we have the energy to do it? That is, do we have the desire to do these basic tasks?

When we think of the journey the Wise Men took in order to worship Jesus, the one that was born the King of the Jews, they made a commitment to the task. They were astrologers and astronomers; people who studied the stars and they saw a bright star and followed its light to where Jesus was. They were wise because they were learned men who had studied the scriptures of different cultures and backgrounds and knew of the prophecy of the Hebrew people. There would be a child born in Bethlehem who would become the Prince of Peace.  King Herod did not want competition for the royal throne and wanted these men to show him where he was after they worshiped him. But the Wise Men did not. They went home a different way.

As we experience these early days of 2021 what is it that you are hoping for? What is it that calls you to connect with others? How are you experiencing Christ/God/Spirit? And what is it that you are doing that engages your inner being with other people?  This is the different way we are called to respond to experiencing Christ’s light. What way are you going? And what are you doing?