TWO THOUGHTS AS THE YEAR TURNS

 

            1.  Let Us Pray

The phrase “Let us pray” is uttered by priests at various points throughout religious services.  It may be an invitation (generally in Western style services) or an imperative (generally Eastern or Orthodox).  Some believe that prayer can become a way of life. 

The phrase is often uttered either at the end of or as a beginning to meaningful words or acts.  Therefore, it seems appropriate to utter them as we are on the cusp of the end of one year and the beginning of a new one; a time of both ending and beginning.

Of course, a natural question might be:  Pray to whom?  And for what? 

As far as “to whom”:  I would suggest that it matters less how one envisions the entity to whom one prays than it does the fact that someone accepts that there is someone or something greater than oneself in which one believes enough to send forth prayers.   I know there can be pushback here from every advocate of every religion (and every associated denomination within) who believes theirs is the one and only true faith.  But let’s remember that there is a difference between man-made religions and true faith in something that is greater than, and all-encompassing of, Mankind.  Beyond this short statement, I will leave it to the philosophers and saints to argue about who the whom in “to whom” is.

That leaves us the second question:  For what shall we pray?  That is an individual problem.  Many will sit down on New Year’s Day and compose a list of resolutions.  Those are generally positive wishes for oneself in the coming year; I’m not sure they are really prayers, but they could be if in the end they are directed to that greater being to whom one prays.

I think that my prayer is for a reinvigoration in this world of the faith that makes prayer meaningful.  This seems to be something that many humans have lost, or are in the process of losing, as individuals seem to become more and more self-absorbed and our world becomes more and more secular.

When one has no belief in something greater than oneself, when the self and its own satisfaction become of primary importance, that is when we lose tolerance for others, when we lose the urge and even the ability to do something for the true good rather than simply for what feels good.  That focus on worldly selves is when we lose respect for humanity and the individuals that surround us.  And it results in an emptiness, a hopelessness, and the anger that we see so much around us in the world these days.

So, my prayer is that we return to our souls and within those souls become reacquainted (or perhaps newly acquainted) with a faith in that which is greater than we, whatever we may choose to call that greater power.  Not only will it lead to truer individual happiness, but it will also go a long way toward healing the world.

2.  The Year You Complain of May Not Really be Over

For all of you who have sent out (sometimes quite offensive) “holiday” cards proclaiming how horrible 2020 was and your eagerness for 2021:  I have some bad news.

We are currently in the Chinese Year of the Metal Rat.  It began last January 25^th, just about the exact same time as COVID arrived on our shores (from China).  The year will not end until February 11, 2021.

The Year of Metal Rat comes once every 60 years.  Based in Chinese astrology, the 12 animal astrological symbols are combined with the 5 elemental signs, giving us 60 possibilities, each of which then contains a Yin or a Yang energy.

The Metal Rat is a Yang year.  Yang is an active energy, when the world is shaped through actions and big events, rather than by passive attitudes. It is therefore a year of changes some of which can be drastic. 

The Rat is symbolically a highly active animal; one that is known for being intelligent, curious, and restless. The Rat gets what it wants through tenacity and inventiveness; it is an animal that can also bite, explore the lower realm of our world, and carry illnesses. All those characteristics show up in the Metal Rat year. And the combination of Yang Metal and the Rat makes for a very active year that shakes things up.

This becomes clear when one considers previous Metal Rat Years.  The most recent was 1960-61. Not only did that year begin several years of social upheaval in this country, but it was also the year of a recession, the year that substantial American advisory forces arrived in Viet Nam.  It was a year that saw a strong socialist/communist movement in Europe, it began the transformation of colonialism to independence in Africa, and France detonated its first atomic bomb while other nations including China did so only a few years later.

Going back through history one will find that there were at least a few significant events in each Metal Rat year that caused or helped lead to significant changes in the future.  1900-01 saw widespread application of the internal combustion engine along with several other technological inventions, all of which served to push us full force into the industrial age and change human life forever.

Looking back further, in 1840-41, the World Anti-Slavery commission met for the first time, wagon trains began leaving for California, the Library of Congress was founded, and slavery was ended in the Northwest Territory.  1780-81 brought us to the end of armed conflict in the American Revolution and saw the approval of the Articles of Confederation.  In 1720-21, Tsar Peter the Great ended the Russian-Orthodox patriarchy, peace treaties were signed among several European countries, and Europe’s last major plague outbreak killed around 100,000 people.  1660-61 saw King Charles II sign the Declaration of Breda establishing freedom of religion.  In 1600-01, Astronomers Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler met for the first time near Prague, and the first British East India Company voyage departed from London. 1540-41 saw exploration of the New World by the likes of De Soto, Coronado, and Cartier while Michelangelo finished painting “The Last Judgment” in the Sistine Chapel.  The years 1480-81 and 1420-21 saw a number of religious wars play out including Ottoman troops beheading 800 Christians for refusing to convert to Islam,  Pope Martinus I calling for a crusade against the Hussite Protestants, and Jews in Syria and Austria were expelled. 

We could go on, but you get the picture.  Years of the Metal Rat include events that tend to shake up the status quo and are likely to change the course of history.  That does not necessarily make them evil, even though experiencing a Metal Rat year as it is happening may be unpleasant at best. 

But, if we look at the long view, perhaps 2020 or this Metal Rat year is not as malevolent as many now believe it to be.  We should stop and consider what has 2020 taught us, how it has prepared us better for the future and how we can work to make that future better.

But whether it is the Year of the Metal Rat or simply 2020 that is so fashionable to trash, I find it hard to believe that there is not at least one thing that each person can find during the year to be thankful for.  Even in the most difficult times, there is always light to be found.

In conclusion, then, as we sit on this cusp between years, let us search within our souls for the faith that is there that can make prayer real and meaningful.  Let us look to what we have learned from this year that is passing and let us find our many lights within it.  And, for the future, let us pray.