In the daily office readings for today, the epistle reading includes this verse which is so appropriate for New Year's Eve day.
So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! - II Corinthians 5:17
The context of this verse is to help the Corinthians Christians (and us) see that the resurrection of Jesus Christ has inaugurated a new world and a new way for us to look at the world. Just as new life through Jesus' resurrection has birthed a new world, we too are invited to participate in this new world by allowing Jesus' resurrection life to transform us into a new creation.
Notice that Paul's use of the phrase, "new creation," is to reinforce that this transformation isn't just about "me and Jesus" but about the larger perspective of God's desire to rescue and redeem the whole world. Yes, it's about me and Jesus, but it's also about ecosystems, politics, countries, trees, landscapes, pets, communities, families, and all of creation.
As we begin a new year, remember that through Jesus' resurrection, we are to live as God's new creation.
It would be nice if people would see that in someone when it happens. We're so hooked into what we "think" someone must be that we don't allow for change in that person. Maybe in the new year, we should look for positive changes in people instead of harping on the negatives.
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