Scripture: Lamentations 3:21-23 – “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (NRSV)
Some things are just so bad there is little you can learn from them. In sports, sometimes a defeat is so total, that it is not worth studying the game video in the coming week to point out mistakes. Likewise, sometimes when practicing choreography for a performance, there will be a run-through that is so full of mistiming and failed steps that everyone is falling over each other. Rather than pointing the finger over who started it all, it is best to forget about it and say, “once more, from the top.”
2020 is the kind of year where we might throw out the game video or just cry, “once more, from the top!” As I have said many times before, God is always providing new beginnings: new mornings, new weeks, new church seasons, and new years. This is worth repeating because it is important not to get mired in the past and let it rule our lives: God provides us with forgiveness and mercy so we can try again and be better in the future.
As you might expect, the Book of Lamentations is not exactly a carefree romp of a read, as it expresses in poetry that heartache and loss that occurred after Jerusalem was destroyed and the people carried away into Exile. But it is not exactly without hope. The poet, who is traditional considered to be the prophet Jeremiah, says “Gone is my glory, and all that I had hoped for from the Lord. The thought of my affliction and my homelessness is wormwood and gall! My some continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me.” I think this lament is one that many in 2020 would find relatable. So many of our social, economic, family, and personal goals have been dashed by this terrible year, and that is excepting the much greater toll of death and stress placed upon us.
But right after stating that he is without hope, the poet then says, “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Many of us recognize these words as inspiring the famous hymn, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness.” And while these sentiments are always important, I find them much more moving when placed in contrast with the loss and despair of Lamentations. No matter how bad the situation, God’s love and mercy are always present with us
And so, as we hope that 2021 will be a better year than 2020, it might be tempting to say there was nothing worth learning in 2020. However, there were many times when we sacrificed for the sake of others or viewed how we look at work or family differently. We did learn more about ourselves and about God in these small acts of kindness and consideration, even with selfishness and anger and fear swirling around us. So, recognize the grace and presence of God, and find the hope that new and brighter days are ahead.
Prayer – God, help me put my guilt behind me and place my hope before me, as I face a new year and a fresh opportunity to love you and spread that love to others. Amen.
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