I said to the man who stood at the gate of the New 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 better than light, and safer than any known way.” These words from the poem God Knows by Minnie Louise Haskins — popularised by King George VI in his 1939 Christmas broadcast — could be our polestar as we traverse tides and tempests of the New Year.
“January” derives from the two-faced Greek god Janus whose faces look backward and forward. Looking back, 2015 had its frightening spells. But every human heart beats with hope that the best is yet to come. So let’s learn from past mistakes, look ahead, and reflect on what “more” we can do to make 2016 newer and happier than anything before.
In his January 1, 2016, message for “World Day of Peace”, Pope Francis reminds us: “God is not indifferent. God cares for humankind”. Indeed, some “Supreme Being” (for those with religious faith) or some “Ultimate Truth” (for those with no religious belief) lovingly holds our hands as we venture into a future that “God alone knows”. So, first and foremost, let this year be energised with moments of silence, prayer and meditation.
Through meditation and prayer, we begin to discard myopic and egocentric viewpoints and gaze upon Life with God’s eyes, so to say. God is not indifferent to what is happening. In fact, he is deeply concerned about what Pope Francis terms the “globalisation of indifference”. 2016 is a “leap year”, which gives us one more day of living and loving, giving and forgiving! Moreover, the UNO has declared 2016 as an “International Year of Pulses” since, apart from being economical and ecofriendly, the production and consumption of peas and beans ensure that even the poor and needy get sufficient nutrition to live healthy lives.
Recently, religious fanatics and politicians have perniciously prescribed and proscribed foods and drinks for everyone. Let’s “check the pulse” and ulterior motives of these hierarchs; for, ultimately what’s important is that everyone gets one’s bowlful of dal-chawal or khichdi twice, daily. This accomplished, this “year of pulses” could be remembered as a nourishing “year of peas”! Trusting God, and holding each other’s hands, let’s say, “Yes!” to all that will be!
(Francis Gonsalves is a professor of theology. He can be contacted at fragons@gmail.com)
