Welcome to the year 2020. By now you have heard a lot of comments and puns about having 20/20 vision. What will this new year look like for you?
Each new year brings with it a new sense of possibility and energy. We make New Year’s resolutions because we recognize that we are “works in process.” We have a whole year to focus on those improvements we would like to make. We take Jan. 1 as an arbitrary start date and begin a push on whatever we would like to change. Generally, resolutions are abandoned within a few weeks before they have a chance to become ingrained in our daily habits. Change is hard and requires more effort than we may consider or understand.
Myriads of self-help resources are available to help you be a better you. These include books, articles, podcasts and apps. But what if it wasn’t just about you? What if the best version of you is possible only in relationship to other people? None of us are islands unto ourselves. Our lives, hopes and dreams are constantly crisscrossed with those around us. Pay attention to the people who depend upon you and the people on whom you depend.
There is the ultimate vision that surpasses ours. It is God’s. This is a vision that touches all creation. In Isaiah 11, the prophet writes:
“The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.”
It might be helpful to have a grand vision before us as we enter this new year. This vision may broaden and deepen our perspectives. It may push us toward action and understanding never before considered. Be mindful of God’s vision in your life this next year. It may be the perfect 2020 vision for all.
— Reflections appears regularly on the religion page. The column features a variety of local writers, coordinated through the Monroe Area Clergy Group. John Tabaka is pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Monroe.
