Almost everyone I’ve wished a happy new year in the last few days has replied “Let’s hope it is better than last year”. We know that there are reasons why for so many people 2023 looks like being no better than 2022, perhaps worse. I think of the verse in Psalm 139 v12 “Even the darkness is not dark to you, the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you”. It reassures me that God is with us in all circumstances and on every day, and God’s love is not conditional upon circumstances. So we too can make choices about how to respond in 2023; how to shape the year ahead; to hold on to hope and take kindness to others as our guiding light; for there will be some who will need that kindness more than ever, and some who will need us to hold on to hope on their behalf.. a very happy new year to you.
