Happy New Year!

Guesses:

If I were to compare today’s headlines with headlines from a year ago today I suspect I’d find that the more things change the more they stay the same:

I’d find examples everywhere of man’s inhumanity to man. Bombings. Shootings. Violence. Cruelty. Everywhere.

I’d find headlines about football in this country. Bowl games. The professional playoffs on the horizon. American football of course. Which gives rise to scornful references to the football treasured in every other country on the planet – the beautiful game. A perfect example of American Exceptionalism. We’re the best. No one has ever been as wonderful as we are.

Wait – I hear echoes of the same sentiment. In Rome as their empire was declining. In Greece as their empire was declining. Among the Ottomans, as their empire was declining. From the Soviets and the Nazis, before their empires ever really ascended. We had a wonderful moment in history. A moment to be admired and honored. But we’ve turned it into a God-given right to extol ourselves and diminish others. God chose us, so we must deserve it.

Headlines from politicians – telling us ‘I am the one who will make this country great again.’ Oops. ‘I done mean to say we’re not great. Don’t misunderstand me. I mean our leaders are taking us in the wrong direction. If we don’t stop them before it’s too late they’ll defy the will of God and we’ll lose our rightful place as #1.’

Headlines about people having a hard time. They’ve lost their job. They’ve lost their home. Their health is failing. They’ve lost faith in their government. They’ve lost faith in their community. They’ve even lost faith in themselves. Things are getting worse, not better, they say.

Will it be different a year from now? Will the headlines be different? What do you think?

Happy New Year!