2025

The vivid white of the frozen pond gave way on the far bank to a hillside of golden brown grasses interspersed with the white of snow and the dark green of evergreens. I admired the colors on that cold frozen morning as I drank my coffee. The morning was both peaceful and beautiful.

But, a rancher came in and had a different perspective, he got his coffee, looked out at the same view and declared, “Blasted weeds, I hate weeds. They ought to spray ‘em, wipe ‘em out.”

By the time most of y’all read this Christmas will be past and we begin to look forward to a new year. I never make New Year’s resolutions but this is a time for looking forward to the turning of 2024 and the dawning of 2025. We might make resolutions, resolve to do better next year, be more disciplined about this or that. We think we’ll be diligent in trying, at least until that old demon temptation arises and our promises vanish.

We can, rather than make doomed resolutions, begin to prepare for the new year by seeking to foster a different attitude about how we approach the year ahead.

I know some folks who have already decided this next year, and the foreseeable future will be a time of anger. They’re angry about this group or that, they can’t stand what’s going on so their emotional fists are up, ready to fight.

It isn’t bad to have causes in which we believe deeply. It isn’t bad to work to improve society. It isn’t bad to get rid of weeds. It can, however, be goals for which we work without anger and hate. When we nurture peace within we have a much better chance to create peace without.

Human beings are smart, not as smart as we think we are, not smart enough to both recognize problems and grasp the simple truth that we can’t solve difficulties by using the same processes that created the difficulty in the first place. We know how to ask ultimate questions but we can only vaguely guess at ultimate answers.

I read a comment online recently from a woman who had a good meal in a restaurant with friends. They’d enjoyed themselves but then found out the server had a different political ideology than she did. With great indignation she declared she left no tip in spite of the good service she’d received. How incredibly sad it is when we wrap ourselves up in self-righteousness and treat others badly to assuage our own ego needs.

Of course, the new year will bring challenges. There will be injustice and anger. There will be events which will try our souls. My prayer is not for the thrill of victories and times of rage at defeats. My prayer for me, and all of us, is a season of peace within today and hope for tomorrow.

We can create a better world if that’s our resolution for the new year.