HAPPY NEW YEAR
God, this is a kind of magic
the way this day shines so strangely,
how it sparkles beyond our understanding.
(Yes, it was a disaster
the way the food turned out this year
and how what’s-her-face said (I told her not to)
What shouldn’t be repeated.
Again this year.)
But, somehow, this day
never fails to awaken a longing
to love well—or at least better—
all those here with us, and those far away,
and to remember with gratitude
those now gone, gone, gone and missed.
What is this mystery?
Our God who set the world spinning
should come down for this one reason:
to love us into a newness.
Not for gain, nor our capitalist fantasies,
but the hope that freely, lavishly,
that we might learn to see, feel, and live Christ’s love.
Thank you.
Christ the Giver and the Gift.
A Blessing for Christmastide, from Kate Bowler’s forthcoming book, The Lives We Actually Have: 100 Blessings for Imperfect Days
