As we near the end of the year, including the week of Christmas, it seems appropriate to try to do a kind of “year in review.” 2020 has certainly given us a LOT to consider. So many cultures and religions around the world have celebrations of light this time of year: Hanukah, Diwali, Teng Chieh, Kwanza to name a few. The birth of the cosmos itself was a celebration of light! In the Christian Tradition, the “light of the world” follows the darkest night. In our podcast we spend some time talking about the light and dark of these times.

HERE is a link to the On Being podcast I mentioned. Richard Blanco’s How to Love a Country is a lyrical, moving work of poetry. The last stanza of his introductory poem reads:

We hold these truths to be self-evident. . .
We’re the cure for hatred caused by despair. We’re the good morning of a bus driver who remembers our name, the tattooed man who gives up his seat on the subway. We’re every door held open with a smile when we look into each other’s eyes the way we behold the moon. We’re the moon. We’re the promise of one people, one breath declaring to one another:
I see you. I need you. I am you.

What has brought you light and despair this year, both personally and collectively? I hope this is a time for reflection and also hope.