New Year’s celebrations have traditionally become a time for us to gather up our hopes and prayers for the coming year and express them in resolutions. I confess to being a resolution maker.
Not just about the little things like losing weight and going to the gym more. But also prayers and hopes about big things, global things. So, I thought I would share a few with you. Here are some of my prayers and hopes for the coming year. There are ten of them.
First, I am praying and hoping that we find a way to end the war in Iraq. In the recent presidential election Americans made it abundantly clear that enough is enough. Our troops and their families have suffered enough in this foolish and unnecessary conflict. Let’s bring them home.
Second, I am praying and hoping that we see an end to the mind-numbing partisanship that has come to dominate politics. The old idea of civic duty and bi-partisan cooperation for the common good is a forgotten virtue. Elected officials need to understand that they represent all the people in their given area of governance, not just the ones who vote for them. President-elect Obama has promised to do this. I am praying he will keep his promise.
Third, I am praying and hoping that Christians will stop whining about being persecuted and start following the teachings of Jesus. Of course that means that they may actually be persecuted—but at least it will be for the right reason.
Fourth, I am praying and hoping that folks will fall out of love with violence. If Jesus is right, then violence is not the way to resolve our differences. And it certainly should not be the way we entertain ourselves or our children. An eye for an eye only serves to make the whole world blind—and we are well on our way there.
Fifth, I am praying and hoping that America will find its soul in regard to the poor and the needy. Somewhere along the way we decided that the purpose of life was to accumulate wealth. Jesus said the purpose of life was to love God and love our neighbor. We have hungry neighbors both at home and abroad that need for us to love them.
Sixth, I am praying and hoping that someone will tell leaders on the religious right that the GOP does not stand for “God’s Own Party.” The illegitimate relationship between faith and partisan politics has drained the life from both, as the recent election seems to have demonstrated.
Seventh, I am praying and hoping that someone will start a movement to have both the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount publicly displayed in the lives of all people.
Eighth, I am praying and hoping that Christians will stop demonizing homosexuals. The first and last thing we should tell all people, including gays and lesbians, is that God loves them.
Ninth, I am praying and hoping that folks who believe that God created the world will start thinking that it might be a good idea to take better care of it. Our battle is with pollution not evolution.
And finally, I am praying and hoping that we find a way to get our troops out of Iraq. I know I already said that, but we really need to get our folks home.
Happy New Year!
James L. Evans is pastor of Auburn First Baptist Church in Auburn, Ala.
A retired Baptist preacher living in Alabama. Over 35 years, he served churches in Alabama, North Carolina and Virginia. In support of his pastoral work, Evans published five books including “First and Second Corinthians: Immersion Bible Studies” (Abingdon Press (2011).
