Happy Old Year!*
With 2012 about to begin, thoughts of 2011 are occupying my mind like protesters seeking to be heard. 2011 has been a year in which awareness has been a key theme. From self-awareness to global events, our eyes have been opened by the torrential flood of information that has inundated our lives. As a race, humanity is beginning to feel the effects of the information age that has arisen from the ubiquitous internet.
Facebook points us all to each other, for good or ill. I am amazed at the myriad ways in which it has changed the way we interact and spend our time. I enjoy catching up with old friends and keeping in touch with new ones, yet, in spite of the messiness of social encounters in the analog world, I still prefer to give hugs and shake hands instead of clicking the “like” button on someone’s status.
The 2011 Egyptian revolution was, for me, an inspiring call to action for people around the world to unite, against the principalities and powers of oppression that try to usurp the rightful authorities on this earth. I love the fact that people came together, peacefully, to effect a change in their government, even if it was at great personal cost.
The Occupy Wall Street movement has just as many detractors as supporters yet it raised awareness over the state of finances in the world. Certainly, many of the people engaged in the OWS movement are not starving, and I agree that complaining about our standard of living is something like the cry of a spoiled child, but deeper than that are the questions being raised about the disparity between the uber-rich and the other 99.9% of us who have to pay taxes, repay loans, and generally have the bulk of our income wrapped up in keeping out of debt. Why do we continue to fill their pockets as we empty ours?
To focus on the disparity of income is a mistake, at issue is the disparity in the way our laws work to protect and give advantages to a class of people who need little protection and have great advantages already. Before we get critical of the iPad carrying, SUV driving occupiers of Wall Street, lets take a careful look at what is going on in the world of finance and government. How is it that so many working class people are becoming homeless as I see hundred million dollar payouts being made to CEO’s of companies that underpay, and underinsure their employees as they avoid taxes and receive a light scolding when they are caught?
Natural disasters have also played a huge role in the way 2011 has shaped up. Tsunami in Japan created a nuclear disaster in Japan and the pollution and debris from the tsunami has reached the shores of the U.S. and will continue to turn up over the next decade. What is happening to our planet? We still haven’t recovered from the BP Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010.
On the religious front, there was a Coptic Christian church in Egypt who were protected by thousands of Muslims during their celebration of mass. Several days later, the Christians responded in kind to form a protective circle around Muslim men who were praying.
Closer to home, our little congregation has increased our presence at Wayside Cross Ministries in Elgin. We helped to keep the facility open on Christmas Eve so that the clients could keep warm and comfortable until PADS, an overnight shelter, could open its doors. Our congregation also continues to provide food and spiritual care for the people there. We also assembled 50 UMCOR health kits and have an opportunity to continue this ministry throughout the year, for there will always be a need for them.
Lastly, the bulk of our congregation is engaged in some form of service or ministry at the church and I am heartened to see such dedication and love for God.
As I get ready to leave 2011 behind me, I look forward to 2012. What impact will Christians have on the year to come? How will we embody Good News to and for the world? How will we be the body of Christ this year?
With eyes to see and ears to hear, I pray that we would open our hearts to promptings of the Holy Spirit in all of us,
Pastor Kyungsu