Looking ahead in the New Year

Burbank Leader

In Theory: Looking ahead in the New Year

January 1, 2012

Question:

Today is the beginning of 2012. What are your hopes — and fears — for the New Year?

Answer:

My hopes for the New Year are very much the same each year as January 1 approaches and are based on the Unitarian Universalist Principles that I hold dear. And while I know that most of them will be very challenging to accomplish, I continue to believe they are possible if we are dedicated to their realization.

So, once again in 2012, I hope that everyone will support and act with the shared conviction that all people have intrinsic value and worth, and therefore deserve fairness, impartiality and caring concern by others. In addition, I hope that we will all learn to respect the views of other people, even when we disagree, and to find our own spiritual paths in an open and conscientious way, without a unilateral and restrictive creed. 

Further, I hope that diverse opinions will be acknowledged with equality, and that decisions can be made for the good of the many, not just the privileged few. Also, I hope that all those in the world can learn to live in harmony with both freedom and integrity and that we will show responsible care and concern for the Earth and all her creatures.

And my greatest fear? It is that people will not value each other in ways that promote peace and justice — that we will continue to find ways to attack and discredit each other through war and other forms of physical and verbal abuse. I fear that we will go on believing that we are the only ones who have the correct beliefs and that all others are wrong. I fear that we will forget to love each other and the Earth in ways that encourage the best in both.

But I am an optimist who is dedicated to doing whatever I can to make the world a better place for all. Of course I cannot do it all by myself; but I am convinced that together, in faith, we can accomplish more than any of us can do alone. So what are we waiting for — 2012?

The Rev. Betty Stapleford
Unitarian Universalist Church of the Verdugo Hills
La Crescenta
***

Starting the New Year is like selecting a fine piece of white linen writing paper; it's up to you to write the story.

In the Practical Christianity philosophy of Unity, we train ourselves to always look for the good and to expect the best from life. Our thoughts, words, feelings and actions constantly create our life.

Expecting the best is based on the belief that God, the one power and one presence, is absolute good. When you trust the principle of absolute good as the source of your guidance, life, love and supply, then you have nothing to fear.

“Perfect love casts out fear.” It is much easier to express the creative energy of faith, trust and expecting the best than to spend energy in the negative state of fearful living.

The Rev. Jeri Linn
Unity Church of the Valley
La Crescenta
*** 

What I'd love to see in the New Year is more moderation and less extremism. Back in 1964, when Sen. Barry Goldwater was running for president against Lyndon Johnson, somebody called him an extremist, and the Arizona Republican said, “Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice.”

Yes, Barry, it is.

At the time, former President Dwight Eisenhower said about Goldwater's comment, “I want that explained.”

The truth is, extremism in the defense of anything is a vice. There is an old saw that says we Americans want the front of the bus, the back of the church, and the middle of the road in politics. And that ancient Greek thinker Aristotle talked about the mean between the extremes.

There was a time when conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats hung out together in Washington. They could disagree on the floors of the House and Senate, but then they could go have a beer together. In fact, the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, a liberal Massachusetts Democrat, was said to be good friends with conservative Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch. Would that those sorts of friendships would happen again.

As I remember some of what I learned in school, Henry Clay, a great American, was known as the Great Compromiser. That wasn't an insult, it was a compliment. Going back to the days of the American Revolution, Ben Franklin quipped, “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”

Wouldn't it be awful if our great American democracy foundered because we couldn't get along? Wouldn't it be awful if we survived Communism, Islamic extremism and every other external threat only to fall victim to our own extremist, homegrown ideologies?

The cartoon strip “Pogo” by Walt Kelly had it right; one of the characters says, “We have met the enemy, and it is us.” So how about a little more moderation in 2012?

The Rev. Skip Lindeman
La Cañada Congregational Church
La Cañada Flintridge
*** 

Before I launch into my own personal new year’s hopes and fears, let me quote from one of the carols our church sang this Christmas, titled, “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”

“Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light; the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”

In that insignificant village, in a stable, was born the hope of mankind, Jesus Christ. The New Testament quotes the Old in reference to him, saying, “In his name the nations will put their hope” (Matthew 12; Isaiah 42) and he will “free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (Hebrews 2:15 NIV). He doesn’t necessarily remove our fears of the dying process, but of any subsequent condemnation. Hope in Christ is confidence of eternal reward, and assurance of his current earthly superintendence.

I hope that I might be more like him in 2012, that I will more thoroughly stamp out my own pet sins, and that I will pray more frequently, knowing he is always near with listening ear. I hope to defend God’s honor and speak fearlessly his words without concern for worldly reprisals. I hope to preach on all the hard passages of the Bible, and answer the objections and criticisms of unbelievers. I hope people who identify with my sentiments in this paper will join me to enlarge my small congregation and stand with me united in promoting an intelligent and reasonable Gospel.

Besides these things, I will be like the rest of the population. I hope to lose some holiday blubber, be more consistent with exercise, spend more time with my kids, create some new memories, manage my way through this tough economy, and witness a change in the presidency. I also hope to embody the sentiment of the repentant Scrooge, who said, “I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” My fear is that less will be done than I hope, but my further hope is that my fear will not be realized.

Blessed New Year!

The Rev. Bryan Griem
Montrose Community Church
***  

Actually, I’ve been contemplating the subject of hope lately. Hope, as I understand it, is the confident expectation of some good that we’ll receive. Is there hope for our lives, and in what should we hope? The answer is yes, and Scripture tells us that our surest hope is to hope in God and what he promises.

For the people who live in our area, my hope is for God’s provision, especially in these financially difficult times. When we seek his kingdom and righteousness first, he promises that all our other needs will be met. For my church, it’s for God’s indwelling presence and guidance. In Matthew 16:18 Jesus promised, “I will build my church.” He promised that he has sealed us with his spirit’s eternal presence to empower us and lead us. My hope is that he will do just that. For my family, it’s that God will make each of us become more like Jesus Christ. “He … predestined [us] to become conformed to the image of his son” (Romans 8:29).

It may sound odd, but my personal hope this year is for greater hope. Paul prayed that the eyes of our hearts might be enlightened so that we would “know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who believe” (Ephesians 1:18-19).

I suppose my greatest fear is that our difficulties (and especially our discomfort in them) would remain the way they are, without any change. God’s promise mitigates that fear, however. “He himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5).

Pastor Jon Barta
Valley Baptist Church
Burbank
*** 

In 2012, American Muslims will have a unique role in our society. America's attitude toward the Muslim community domestically is at the cusp of two trends. One is the continuation of interfaith activities, outreach programs, community service and educational forums involving Muslims, grown significantly since 9/11, which help eliminate the ignorance and fear that fuels Islamophobia. Further, the positive inclusion of American Muslims in counter-terrorism measures as America's leading group for providing tips that stem impending acts of terrorism will help keep our nation safe.

The other is a new wave of fervent bigotry in America toward Islam and Muslims that may be intensified by the 2012 general elections. This negative trend can also be driven by unfounded concerns about Sharia law and the growth of the already-established, $43-million-strong (as reported by the Center for American Progress) cottage industry of hate toward Islam in America. Several Republican political strategists tried very hard to make the fear of Islam in America a wedge issue in the 2008 general elections by denying President Obama his Christian faith and accusing him of being a “closet Muslim.” Fortunately, presidential candidate John McCain and retired General Colin Powell rebuked members of the Republican Party for these acts of religious discrimination in 2008. My fear is that new forms of demagoguery toward Islam will be contrived during the 2012 general election.

On the local level, individual community members have much greater influence. My greatest hope is the continued growth of activities that involve the Islamic Congregation of La Cañada Flintridge. Since this organization was launched in December 2006, there have been countless community service activities and educational forums that have given local Muslims the opportunity to show the real nature of what it means to be a Muslim in this great country. So with the hope that mutual respect continues, there will be no fears for our local community in 2012, God willing (as the Koran teaches Muslims to say when expressing hope for the future).

Levant Akbarut
Islamic Congregation of La Cañada Flintridge
***

I’m so glad you asked. Barring fantasies of “peace on earth, good will to all,” here’s a list of perfectly reasonable hopes for 2012 and beyond:

An end to time poverty and the return of slowness to American life: a reasonable work week, longer paid leave, and an understanding that when we’re home, we won’t be working. Maybe even “blue laws” to mandate Saturday and Sunday as work-free, sports-free, schedule-free zones for families.

Stop reptilian-brain reactivity as a nationally agreed-upon ethos; end the media cycle of “who’s to blame?” hysteria, and mature toward a shared, productive conversation about “what’s the solution?”

For that matter, let’s recover balanced and thoughtful television news instead of angry, arrogant personal commentary meant as entertainment.

Creative solutions to housing: Multiple units with shared green space and clustered living like the Grove and Americana communities, but affordable. Maybe throw in some high-quality shared child-care options.

Insurance coverage for preventive care and wellness maintenance. Really.

R&D for better definitions and treatment of depression and anxiety. It’s ridiculous how long it takes to stabilize meds for these. Find better answers.

Stop over-programming our children. Let them play sports for fun; don’t assign homework on breaks; give them fallow, unscheduled time in which to rest and use their imaginations (which they’re losing more of, every day).

Movies that cost less than my car payment.

TV ‘seasons’ that last longer than eight episodes.

Women’s fashion: We’d like warm, comfortable, durable, and affordable clothing, just like the menfolk. And we drive now, and work, and have our very own money. Could we maybe have some pockets in our pants for keys and cash?

End the law against talking on the cell phone while driving. Texting, yes; but pushing a single button and talking is no more distracting than using the radio or drinking coffee; and fussing around with Bluetooth is far more likely to get me killed than holding a phone to my ear.

If these are too hard, could we at least develop the ‘Amy-only’ lane on the freeway?

The Rev. Amy Pringle
St. George’s Episcopal Church
La Cañada Flintridge
***

Both my hope and fear for 2012 are about what will happen in the aftermath of our withdrawal from Iraq following our invasion and almost nine years of military occupation of that nation.

Against all odds and despite appearances so far, I hope that the people of Iraq manage to keep it together and not descend into civil war. What I fear is that our war's wanton destruction of their infrastructure and of what little political and social cohesion they had pre-2003, along with having driven many Iraqis with skills and education to flee, will prove to be too devastating for them to overcome.

The New York Times (December 16) describes Iraq now as “shattered.”

We did this awful thing. To our everlasting shame, we have only estimates of Iraqi civilian deaths, ranging from 104,384 to more than 600,000, if you include deaths from degraded health care and other war effects. And of course our heedless, needless war of choice has left many shattered lives here as well, people wounded and grieving in body and mind.

In addition to reparations there and care here, for our own benefit as a nation we need to take a national moment for a collective “I'm sorry.” I hope for that, but I fear we will not rise to such self-examination because we have learned nothing — again. May I be proven wrong.

Roberta Medford
Atheist
Montrose
***

I wish the readers of In Theory a happy New Year. My hopes for this New Year include peace and good health for us all. I also hope we each can reach our greatest potential. The coming year will bring challenges and opportunities to each of us. I hope we can each make the best choices possible to meet those challenges and opportunities.

I wish in this New Year that more people will embrace an appreciation of the value of science to help make informed choices. I wish in this New Year that our leaders can make wiser and more loving decisions.

Best wishes for us all in the New Year.

Steven Gibson
South Pasadena Atheist Meetup
Altadena
***


My hopes and fears come in tall, grande and vente. On the vente end, I hope that 2012 really is a cosmic game-changer. Lord knows we’d welcome a bump up to a higher plane of existence — one in which the cannonballs are forever banned, all people are free, and no one pretends that they just don’t see. If Jesus is coming again this year, come on then. We’re ready for heaven on Earth, even though we know we can expect the coming judgment for someone. We sip slowly at our steamy vente mugs, hoping that bitterness is not in our own brew.

My grande hopes are for my church. Last year was a good year for us. This year I hope that we do more risk-taking mission and service. Let’s get in the middle of the cosmic game-changing action. I hope that my denomination (slated for a General Conference this year) gets its act together on homosexuality and the global nature of the church, and that we find our voice again. Too many times we are silent on the issues of the day while other religious voices are very noisy. I have a grande dream that the whole progressive faith movement gets so loud that when Republican candidates go to Iowa, they push right past Vander Plaatz at the Pizza Ranch buffet to get our endorsement.

I nurse my tall hopes around the house — that my husband will get more fabulous music opportunities that show off his talent and share his joy, that I will lose 10 pounds, and that maybe we’ll get a dog. I hope that my flowers will grow and give me the inordinate thrill of watching them bloom.

I have tall hopes for you. On the chance that we don’t get the end of the world as we know it, I hope that your home has peace and joy, that you notice the beauty in your life, and that you find opportunities to thrive in 2012. Happy New Year!

The Rev. Paige Eaves
Crescenta Valley United Methodist Church
Montrose
***


What a year this has been!

In 2011, our economy went through more ups, downs and spirals than a roller coaster — and despite various positive indications, our nation's economic woes seem to persist. Although it probably did not surprise anyone, politics in this country grew downright absurd, with our elected officials acting like kindergarten children. The Middle East went into upheaval and popular uprisings replaced dictators with rulers who thus far don’t seem to be much better for their populations. And, to top it all off, the constant threat of nuclear confrontation from rogue countries like Iran and North Korea seems to be escalating. All of this sounds very scary.

While we may see more of the same turmoil in the coming year, my faith in humanity leads me to hope — in fact, to believe — that things will be better, much better.

Let us not forget that even in difficult times like these, there is still much to be thankful for. There are so many good things that happened during this past year — all of which did not make it to the front page of the Los Angeles Times — or to page 28, for that matter. I personally have witnessed many, many good deeds and have seen genuine compassion shown from one human being to another. I’m sure this is true of most of us if we just take a moment to pause and reflect on our daily lives.

It is these little acts of goodness and kindness that ultimately convince me that this coming year will be truly blessed and that humanity will see a measure of peace and contentment which we have not seen in decades. The potential for positive developments is all around us, and the possibilities are truly exiting.

Happy New Year, everyone! Let’s ring out the old and bring in the new!

Rabbi Simcha Backman
Chabad Jewish Center
Glendale

***

Copyright © 2012, Pasadena Sun

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