Do we believe more in ourselves or in the grace of community life? Isn’t it easier to just do it ourselves and not bother with other people or another group?  

In our life we will hear voices that will encourage us to hate, to destroy, and to vilify our neighbors. Loud charismatic voices will tell us that love and forgiveness are naïve, ridiculous, and foolish. Power, violence, and control rule the day, not love, some voices say. What voices do we listen to and what voices shape the way we live?

It is a new year, and it can be a new beginning for us. Henri Nouwen writes, “So how can we be in touch with the Spirit, hear the voice of the Spirit, and allow ourselves to be guided by the Spirit?” Can we create some space for God to inform, guide, and shape our responses to all the interactions we have each day?

As we take time to celebrate the birth of Jesus, may the spirit of Christ continually be born in us. What needs to be born or born anew in us today?

A warm smile. A kind word. A heartfelt thank you. A hug. Forgiveness. A meal made with great care. A phone call from a long-ago friend. Flowers blooming in the spring. A dog’s joyful greeting. Prayer.

Do we see God’s love in the world, and do we give birth to Love?

When we are feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or stressed out, what do we do? Do we react in haste? Are we compulsive? Do we think things through? Do we have the faith of Mary to stop and ponder?

We develop a deeper spirit of peace within us when we no longer have anything left to cling to. What are we hanging on to?

May we experience God’s intimate love and grace moving through us and through our world. May we find within our hearts “a place where the light shines with tender memories.” May we live with hope.

So much like the first disciples, we wait in the cloud of unknowing in our “upper rooms” wherever they may be.

What outer garments do we wear that keep us from forming relationships with the other? What outer garments do we wear that separate us? What do we wear that prevents us from seeing the image of God in our neighbor?