Happy New Year

A Happy New Year to all our readers. It's the time for resolution making and breaking. When we make resolutions we address what we regard as our weaknesses. It might be tackling an aspect of our behaviour, like an attitude, a reaction or an addiction.

When we make a resolution we must be prepared for failure. I remember hearing a Catholic priest talking about his role in the Northern Ireland Peace Process. He was prepared to take risks for peace knowing that he would be forgiven if he failed. He said he was in a far better position than those who didn't understand about forgiveness because they didn't risk anything for the peace process.

In resolutions, we try, we fail, and we can be forgiven for not being perfect.

Many people have changed their behaviour by following the Day by Day Principle. Those who have been through AA are witnesses to this. The principle is not only important to those who are fighting addictions. It is also important for anyone who is inclined to be anxious (and who isn't?).

The principle was taught by Jesus and is intended as standard Christian practice. The context of Jesus's teaching was a society which was very poor in which many people did not know where their next meal was coming from. Jesus shared with them the day by day principle.

Having warned people against keeping up appearances and not letting their lives be taken over by possessions, Jesus explains to worriers why they there is no need to worry, finally saying: : "therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough troubles of its own." (Matthew 6). And he taught his followers a pattern of prayer which is based on the day by day principle, and the need to trust God if we follow that principle. He said, "this is how you should pray: 'Our Father ... give us today our daily bread'" (Matthew 6:9-12).

So we stand at the beginning of a New Year. Resolutions will have been made by the million to change self, community, nation and planet for the better. I don?t suppose there is much ground for optimism that these resolutions will be kept - unless they are kept on a day-by-day-basis. Another cartoon for the New Year features someone shielded by an enormous 'patch'. The caption is "Thanks to this new full body patch, my New Year's Resolution is on day SEVEN!"