How Shall We Welcome the New Year?

Our Ethiopian New Year, 2018, is upon us. How should we welcome this new season? Let’s begin with what we feel as we contemplate 2018. For a moment, let’s set aside our thoughts and try to listen to our bodies. What is our body telling us? Do we feel tension or ease?

Dominant Perspectives

The anticipation of the New Year presents two seemingly contradictory viewpoints. The first is a hopeful observer, believing the coming year will bring greater good and an ever-increasing dawn. They trust that tomorrow will be more beautiful. They believe that the present injustices, the pervasive corruption, the pushing and shoving, the encompassing fear, the tears of those displaced in the name of development, and the daily shedding of innocent blood will all be overcome by the goodness of tomorrow. This perspective is largely unconcerned with the interconnectedness of today and tomorrow; its hallmark is the expectation of “sudden blessings.” However, this reliance on sudden blessings can lead critics to label it as naive.

The second perspective can be seen as the antithesis of the first. It anticipates that evil will intensify and that the darkness will deepen. The proponents of this view are unimpressed by the widening roads, the solitary lights flickering in the streets each night, and the multitude of billion-dollar projects inaugurated. They don’t consider these infrastructure developments to be significant in the context of human development. They have not only information but also evidence of the increase in wickedness, viewing the descending journey as becoming ever steeper. Their outlook might be categorized as pessimistic by the optimists.

The purpose of this reflection is not to reconcile, debate, or praise these viewpoints. The question is: Do we have an alternative approach beyond these two dominant perspectives? Is it possible to hope without denying the reality of evil and without diminishing our own agency? Specifically, for those of us who believe in God and draw strength and resilience from this faith, can we adopt a different perspective and way of life, distinct from these two paradigms? This article aims to suggest a third option, drawn from God’s word, for us to perceive our lives and our approach to the coming year more constructively than through cynicism or relentless pessimism.

The Lord’s Nearness

The third approach to welcoming the year is rooted in recognizing and experiencing the Lord’s nearness. It asserts that “the Lord is near” even before anything begins. Perceiving the world through the lens of God’s closeness transforms many things. It helps us to live with hope, without denying the evil that surrounds us. When we hope, we do not disregard the extent of the world’s anxieties. Nor do we despair, even when we understand these anxieties more deeply than others. We can maintain our peace even while living in a world devoid of it. We do not allow the visible evil to pull at our hearts and minds, leading us to despair. But is such a way possible?

A passage that serves as a starting point for this third perspective is Philippians 4:6-7. It reads, “The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This passage is filled with seemingly contradictory ideas, urging us about anxiety while also assuring us of peace.

Indeed, some life experiences are profoundly difficult. They can make us feel utterly alone. We might feel as though the God who graciously sustains all creation has somehow neglected us. The goodness we’ve experienced over years of life might be viewed with suspicion, not by choice, but because of the pain we’ve endured. While difficult circumstances may not negate God’s existence, they can push us to question the continuity of His benevolent presence. Like the Psalmist, we might lament, “My God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries for help?” (Psalm 22:1). When God seems to have abandoned us, even our cries for salvation sound distant.

As human beings, none of us desires perpetual loneliness. The most profound loneliness arises when we feel abandoned by the God who is the helper of all. The Psalmist addresses this in Psalm 51:11, pleading, “Do not cast me away from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.” One who has experienced God’s closeness in their life does not wish to be cast away from His presence.

The feeling of being forsaken by God is perhaps the most terrifying of all negative emotions. Therefore, even if we cannot claim our prayers are fully faith-filled, we can strengthen our spirit and implore the God we feel has left us, “Do not leave me.” We plead, “Withdraw not from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help” (Psalm 22:11). The more we grapple with the feeling that God has distanced Himself, the more we cry out, “But you, Lord, do not withdraw from me; O my strength, come quickly to help me” (v. 19). This is indeed the path that yields lasting benefit.

Remembering the Lord’s Presence in Times of Trial

When surrounded by fear and gripped by anxiety, what should we remember? Without dismissing the concerns that trouble us, how can we protect ourselves from excessive rumination and related negative emotions? How can we guard ourselves from the spirit of “it’s impossible”? The apostle urges us not to forget one thing amidst turmoil: the Lord’s nearness. In times of stress, we must never neglect to remind ourselves of God’s presence.

To remember the Lord’s nearness is to understand and embrace His companionship, to know we are not alone. Recognizing God’s presence with us in all things empowers us with new strength. It dispels the feelings of abandonment and neglect that can overwhelm us when circumstances loom large. We must remember that God is our Maker, that He watches over us and cares for us. The day we believe God is with us, truly nothing will instill fear.

The reason fear recedes within God’s fellowship is clear. As the prophet says, God’s presence soothes our fears, transforms our shock into calm, supports our weaknesses, and strengthens us through His support. To say “the Lord is near” is to hear, “Do not fear, for I am your God; do not be dismayed. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). Is our greatest desire not to be supported by God?

Knowing the Lord’s nearness makes us feel we are not alone. We find peace because we know the shoulder we lean on is an unyielding staff.

The Lord’s nearness also grants us the confidence that God hears our prayers. Thus, it empowers us to present all our matters, without omission, in detail before Him. As we speak and make our needs known, we are assured that He is listening. In other words, God’s closeness means not just that God exists, but that God is present for us. Because God’s nearness is not merely intellectual knowledge, we pour out our hearts before Him. Through prayer, supplication, and thanksgiving, we present ourselves before Him. Knowing His companionship allows our lives to be about sharing what troubles us, not about hesitating.

To communicate with God, however, does not mean commanding Him, as some of us might think. To know the Lord’s nearness is to bring everything before Him and to surrender leadership in the matters that distress us to Him. When we stand before an all-powerful and all-knowing God, how can it be right not to embrace His guidance? Are not His ways, though they may seem weak to us, infinitely better? Indeed, the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:25).

If we don’t correct the misguided notion that prayer is merely a tool to get our way, we won’t gain much from it. Key adjustments include recognizing prayer not just as a means to obtain what we want, but as a reminder of our dependence; as a time for listening more than speaking; and as a place of yielding to His will, not necessarily winning. Prayer is about understanding that the answer is God’s will for us, not just getting our requests met as we desire. The access we have in prayer is always grace, and His grace makes us victors—victors superior to those considered winners by human standards.

It is also wise to remember that the grace we find in prayer may differ in scope and content from what we anticipate. There is no guarantee that we will receive everything we desire simply by approaching Him. When we don’t receive what we want, it’s not because our God is stingy. If we were to consider God’s stinginess, we might not even find the grace we need amidst our trials.

The peace granted to us amidst turmoil, as a gift of His goodness, stems from understanding that God helps and aids, and above all, knows our needs better than we do. The peace of God in Christ Jesus guards our hearts and minds. The kind of peace we find through Christ Jesus transcends understanding.

Peace Beyond Comprehension

Why is the peace we draw from His presence called “peace that transcends understanding”? What is the hallmark of such peace? What makes it transcend understanding is that it is not our own doing; it is something we receive, not something we create. This is why its outcome is not pride or boasting, but thankfulness. There are times when we, and even others, do not comprehend the peace we experience in His presence. The peace we find in His presence as a gift has no human explanation. It is a divine gift from the Prince of Peace.

Peace that transcends understanding reminds us of the Lord’s words. This peace is the Lord’s peace, and He is its giver. It is unlike the peace the world offers. Its hallmark and source is its permanence. Its guarantee of fulfillment is God Himself. It is not shaken by circumstances because it is not dependent on them. It remains steadfast amidst gains and losses. It is found by surrendering all things to Him.

The primary reason our hearts and minds are not tossed about amidst turmoil is His nearness and His companionship. His companionship does not cause our hearts and minds to run wild independently. It doesn’t happen as it sometimes does, where our thoughts overwhelm our hearts. Our hearts and minds, being supported by His presence, remain steadfast. This enables us to find hope in God amidst a tumultuous world. The third way is, indeed, the way of knowing God’s nearness, sharing all that troubles us, and receiving peace as a divine gift from the Prince of Peace. My hope and prayer is that the New Year will be a year in which we remember God’s nearness and live in His presence.

[1] Given that the article was originally written in Amharic and then translated into English using AI, it’s important to be mindful of potential nuances that might have been lost in translation.