Another Year of our Lord
by Archbishop John E. Privett
Dear Friends,
A new calendar year has begun: the year of our Lord (Anno Domini) 2010. I know that it sounds somewhat anachronistic, even politically incorrect, at the beginning of the 21st Century to use the phrase AD with reference to the date. We live in a country that acknowledges many faith traditions and it has become customary to replace the older AD (Anno Domini) with the letters CE for Common Era. So we have begun the year 2010 of the Common Era.
In this paper, however, I write as a Christian to other Christians, and so it is indeed appropriate for me to refer to the year of our Lord 2010. The world has lived with the presence of Jesus for two hundred and one decades. As we begin another year I invite you to consider how the followers of Jesus have shaped our human history. It is popular in this highly secular, anti-religious culture of ours to point immediately to the travesties that have occurred in the name of religion and in particular the Christian faith. Many of you will know the lines from the Crosby, Stills and Nash song "Cathedral," "… Too many people have lied in the name of Christ, for anyone to heed the call. So many people have died in the name of Christ, that I can’t believe it all…" And God knows how much harm has been done by people of faith. I would be the first to acknowledge that and to point out that people of faith are not immune to the effects of sin in our lives. Because of that we must be particularly humble and alert to our ability to cause harm to others. It was just these kinds of reflections that led to G.K. Chesterton's famous remark: "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried."
Nevertheless, two hundred and one decades of Christian faith have made a huge difference in our world. The language of justice and reconciliation; the language of mercy and love have permeated our culture. We have just celebrated the birth of the one who is called Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the Prince of Peace, and despite our imperfection and failures, the life of Jesus as expressed through his followers has brought much good to the world. It is still true that people of faith contribute more to charity than any other demographic.
So let us make these reflections a little more personal. I invite you to take a moment at the beginning of this new year to consider how long you have been a disciple of Jesus — how many years you have been a Christian. How has this spirituality shaped your life? How has it enriched and formed your values and commitments? How has the Spirit of Jesus given shape to who you are today? And consider the year 2009. How has your faith informed your life during this past year? How has your life as a follower of Jesus grown or developed? And now, take a moment to look to the New Year. As you look to the year ahead, ask yourself how you would like to grow in your own Christian life? Would you like to deepen your knowledge of Jesus through the study of the Bible; would you like to develop your own practises of prayer and meditation; would you like to identify a way of putting your faith into action through serving in your congregation or in the wider community?
Our faith forms some of the core values of our lives. Our faith is a source of personal strength and nourishment and it is through us that the Way of Jesus is made concrete in time and space. In my view, as we begin the year of our Lord, 2010, we have another year of grace to receive what God in Christ offers us, and another year to offer some of the riches we discover to the world around us.
Happy New Year!
+John
