Word(s) of the Year
Every year, a number of the world’s leading dictionaries offer a ‘word of the year’. Alongside the fairly predictable words for 2021, including ‘vax’, ‘vaccine’ and ‘NFT’ (non-fungible token – no, I don’t understand it either…) the Cambridge Dictionary rather surprisingly chose ‘perseverance’. I thought this choice was really rather inspired – and it seemed that this might well become an excellent word for us all to take into this new year. Each of us in our own way has had to put up with some degree of upheaval in our lives over the past 18 months or so, and while reminding us that we are not yet rid of Covid-19, it encourages us to deal with issues as they arise and look forward to a time when life might return to something like ‘normality’, whatever that is!
Our lives have all been transformed by Covid-19. But as we enter the new year, I’m sure that we will continue to do our best to carry on with our lives, and resolve to do what we can to look out for our families and friends, and maybe help others who are in need. In short, to persevere. That’s such an easy thing to say, I know, so perhaps I could offer three more words from scripture that might help us to persevere on our journey through 2022.
Faith that we are not alone in facing our future, and that we will come through with help from our brilliant NHS and scientists, trusting that God will always be at our side.
Hope that the peoples of the world can live together in peace and learn to right the wrongs of the past. Hope that we might be spared the worst of any new crisis that might emerge in 2022.
Love for our families and friends, our neighbours and our communities, but also for this fragile world which has been damaged so much by our past negligence.
‘Faith, hope and love abide, these three, but the greatest of these is love’ (1 Corinthians 13:13).
Whatever you do, wherever you go, whoever you spend it with, along with Revd Bev, our Churchwardens Catherine and Helen and the rest of the team at St Michael & All Angels, I wish you all a very happy, healthy and peaceful new year.
Revd Gary Williamson
