As we enter the New Year we recognize a few things:
2017 Was A Tough Year
No doubt, there was a lot of good that happened in 2017. But there was also a lot of tragedy.
Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Jose destroyed hundreds of homes and shattered countless lives while wildfires ravaged both Northern and Southern California.
Terrorism was a daily reality. In January alone, there were 161 terror attacks all over the world. I didn’t bother looking up the statistics for February through December. (If you’re so inclined, you can find the statistics HERE.)
2017 saw more tragic shootings than ever in places like Las Vegas, Sutherland Springs, and even on a Congressional baseball field.
It was also a year of increased polarization and hostility in terms of politics, religion, race, and so forth. More and more, it seems, we consider those who are different to be our enemies.
Still We Celebrate
And yet…
We just celebrated the joy of a baby born in Bethlehem. And a week after that we celebrate the coming of a new year.
Why do we do that? In the face of all the brokenness of the world, why do we insist on celebrating?
[This post initially appeared on the Flourish San Diego website. You can read the entire article and HERE.]