Do you recall pictures of the bearded old man named Father Time? Sometimes he carries an hourglass, reminding us of the constant passage of time. Sometimes he carries a scythe, which points to the end of life. On January 1, he hands over his duties to Baby New Year, who starts his work and will grow into Father Time through the year 2020. Yet the passing of responsibility happens in real life as well.
Dr. John Killinger writes that there is always something completely magical about gateways to a new year, or a new era of time. It is hardly any wonder, he says, that ancient people often regarded them as pathways to blessing. We, too have a sense of their mystery and intrigue as we began another year. We are leaving behind one chapter of our lives and opening another. Still fresh in our memories are the experiences of 2019, but we are also keenly aware of the possibilities that lie before us as we step across the threshold of history into 2020.
For the church, the first days of a new year are as fresh with possibility as the new baby we come to worship as our Savior. We are overwhelmed with hope and gladness at the prospect that God will open to us a brand-new reality, to the way things might yet be. As Christian witnesses, we proclaim good news that is ancient, yet always and ever new.
What is assured about 2020? Only that our faith and our companionship with Christ will give us stability when the seas around us are rough, and a sense of gratitude when they are not. Our selfless devotion and Christian service will make our world more loving and more spiritual. And this particular gateway — 2020 — can be the passageway to a closer and deeper relationship with our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.
