Reflecting on the New Year – Sunday, January 01, 1995
In Roman mythology, Janus is the god of beginnings, the deity responsible for the new year. As custodian of the universe, he holds sacred the first hour of the day, the first day of the month, and the first month of the year – January – which bears his name. He’s represented with two bearded heads set back-to-back – one looking at the past, the other looking ahead to the future.
Janus is a fitting model for this season of reflection and renewal. Just as his opposing faces see the past and the future simultaneously, we would do well to ponder over the past year as we make plans for the next twelve months.
Many people set aside some time every January to reflect. They ask themselves questions like: “What have I learned?” and “What will I do differently?” Remembering obstacles overcome and hardships endured, they cherish happy times, are invigorated by nearly forgotten triumphs and humbled by God’s goodness toward them. Their written list of blessings and accomplishments renews their resolve and puts present problems into the perspective of passing time.
Of course, learning and benefiting from the past is vastly different from living in the past. The former strengthens our commitment to growth and improvement; the latter stifles growth and stops progress. We simply cannot grasp the hope of the future if we’re holding on to the hurt of the past.
One thing is certain; the new year comes. C.S. Lewis described the future in these terms: “…something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour whatever he does, whoever he is.”1
Regardless of the fixed speed at which we travel to another year, the future can be paved with lessons learned. But, if we neglect the wisdom of yesteryear or are blinded to the possibilities of tomorrow, we may continue to travel a dull and dusty highway. The past can serve as a road map of sorts, guiding us over rough spots, reminding us of detours, and even preparing us for more scenic routes. By remembering how we made it to where we are right now and consciously deciding where we would like to be next year at this time, we can make better decisions and achieve a greater measure of happiness.
The Unknowns of the future become less threatening and more promising as we adopt the wisdom of Janus. Let us look to the past and learn to look to the future and live.
1 C. S. Lewis, “The Screwtape Letters”, (1941), Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, 16th Edition (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1992), P. 700.
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January 01, 1995
Broadcast Number 3,411
The Tabernacle Choir
Orchestra at Temple Square
Conductor
Jerold Ottley
Organist
Richard L. Elliott
Host
Lloyd Newell
Gently Raise the Sacred Strain
Thomas C. Griggs
Fanfare for the New Year
Gordon Young
Teach Me Thy Way, O Lord
Mansell Ramsey; arr. Paul Sjolund
The Opening Year
Gilbert M. Martin
Rhapsody No. 1
Herbert Howells
Ring Out, Wild Bells
J Spencer Cornwall
Sunshine on My Shoulder
John Denver
Rise! Up! Arise!
Felix Mendelssohn