Each year leaves an impact on us, not just as individuals but on society as a whole. Many things can happen in one year and at times we realise how they affect us but at times we do not.
A year ago today, who could have told us that we would see the massive earthquakes of Haiti, Chile, New Zealand and others? Who could have told us that Greece and Ireland would be facing such economic and social upheaval? Who could have predicted the earthquake caused by the Wikileaks revelations? And what about climate change?
Medicine has gone to great lengths to create life artificially but also to kill it at conception. Thanks to advances in medical technology and scientific research, the deaf are hearing, the blind are seeing and so many diseases are being cured. Joints are being replaced, hearts are rejuvenated and pain is being subdued.
This age will be remembered for mass emigration by millions fleeing war and starvation, for super mega-liners and human trafficking, for the spoilt and filthy rich and rampant drug addiction. Consumers are spoilt for choice.
This is the age of awesome technological breakthroughs, engineering miracles, mass travel and instant communication, of access to uncensored and uncontrolled material.
These days will be remembered for globalisation, for financial meltdown, for the rise and fall of world leaders, the age of terrorist threats, religious intolerance and paedophile scandals.
Never in history did humans ever experience and live through such situations. Like it or not we have to go through the tunnel of life. We can try to hide and ignore it but sooner or later we come face to face with it all. The literate are suddenly the illiterate and the righteous are the villans. The old and wise are suddenly the senile and ignorant. The young are teaching the old and what you know today has little value tomorrow.
Life goes on but this is what we are all going through today. This is the context within which we have to adjust our lives. Within these changes we have to try and find reason, direction and coherence. In this melting pot we have to raise our families, guide our children and keep on smiling.
But ultimately is anyone in control of this situation? Who is responsible? Who are our leaders? Can we trust them? Are we heading in the right direction? Is God causing or permitting a few things here and there and is the devil hitting back at Him in all this? Will we ever solve the escalating global problems or with it all just end as it started, with a big bang? The drug lords are so strong and negatively effective because of their users.
At the end of it all, no one person is completely responsible for this and everyone is responsible for most of it. None of us can really be expected to change the course of the world, but maybe if we did sit and appreciate how all this is affecting our moods, our relationships and the way we feel about our visit on this earth, it would help us in the coming year to be a bit more compassionate towards each other, a bit more careful on the size of our carbon footprint, a bit more aware that we are who we are not just because of our nature and our nurture, but because we are living in such awesome times.
A happy new year to all.