Remember Janus, the deity with two faces? Carvings of him were placed above doorways and gates in Roman times. He was the guardian of beginnings and endings, of transitions and the passage of time, looking backward into the past and forward into the future. As we cross over the threshold from the old year to the new it is fitting that this month honors his memory.
When the parties, celebrations, and fireworks are over, this is a time for reflection and contemplation.
As Pastor Ellen reminded us in her sermon, we are all travelers in life, and hopes and fears, joys and concerns, are things we all experience. As we pause to rest and reflect before resuming our travels into the uncharted future we should remember those questions we ask ourselves each week during the Time for Reflection. Looking back like Janus at last year, what have we done that we ought not to have done and what have we left undone that we ought to have done? Looking forward like him into the new year, what help will we need from God and neighbor and what can we do to nurture love of God and love of neighbor in the world?
With these thoughts in mind, let’s go forward with hope and faith and not be deterred by the occasional detour or roadblock we encounter along the way.
Until next time,
Bruce