We live in interesting times and it is natural to be shaken by the unfolding calamities that seem to appear daily on our television screens and news feeds. They can naturally cause us to fear the future and wonder what will unfold. There seems to be a rush into highlighting differences between nations, stoking the fires of conflict and retreating into our own castles. Almost daily we are called to navigate the opinions of others who seek to offer solutions or point to fresh problems. In an age where everything is questioned, we wonder whose voice we will listen to and trust.
As we draw towards the end of the year we can believe that it is only those who seek to seize control of the situation, remedy the ills of society with instant solutions and who seek to smell the breath of popular opinion who will guide us through uncertain times. Yet we are called to surrender ourselves to divine providence that is called to engender a sense of trusting obedience to the voice of God. This discernment of direction means that we need to know the limits of power and wealth to transform the situation of the heart. There is a need to be people who are open to the movement of the Holy Spirit and seek to remain in the presence of God.
This is not undertaken by a fatalistic vision that abandons hope but rather builds hope through the accompaniment of each other. This seeks to be people of faith who seek Christ who offers his life to us so that we may not become lost in our own fears. As we review the year may we learn how God is present in our times and calls us to trust that we are not abandoned.