I read something disturbing this week. It has to do with corruption. It has to do with leaders abusing their power over their people. It specifically deals with the rulers of a nation recklessly abandoning their morals and letting harm come to those who rely on them for protection. It is unfortunate that those words I just wrote do not cause depression and fear in our hearts. We are simply used to hearing it. Those concepts are not foreign to us, but rather commonplace. You may think I am talking about Iraq or Venezuela or Cuba or Syria. You may think I am talking about the United States. But I am talking about all of us.

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I have been in a few National forests in this country. I have stayed overnight in Kaibab and Coconino National Forests in Arizona. I have driven through the Angeles and San Bernadino National Forests in California. And I have spent some time in Pike National Forest in Colorado. This past weekend, while at the 605 retreat, I spent an hour of solitude several miles in that forest. It was 8 degrees outside. I drove up a winding, snowy road into the forest. I was slowly climbing a hill and when I crested the top I saw something magnificent.

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There is a short letter in the New Testament written by Paul to a man named Philemon. This man was a believer in Christ who live in Colossae. The background to the story is simple: Philemon had a slave named Onesimus; Onesimus ran away, met Paul and was converted. Paul is writing the letter to appeal for the freedom of Onesimus. The story of Onesimus is a surprisingly relevant one.

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Happy New Year. We have all said it dozens of times in the last week. We love to say it. Why? Do we really care if everyone we meet has a happy year? Is it possible to have a happy year? There will be sadness for all of us in this year. The focus of the phrase comes with the word NEW. We love new things. We just got new stuff for Christmas. Some of us got rid of old stuff to make room for the new. We are fascinated with newness. Things get old and tired and dirty and broken. We need new. What are we going to do with the new year?

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