Look both ways before you cross the New Year

LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE YOU CROSS THE NEW YEAR

This is where we look back at the prior year and look forward to the coming year.

The ancient Romans had gods and goddesses for just about everything:

Robigo:  Goddess of Corn

Porus:  God of Plenty

Muta:  Goddess of Silence

Mellona:  Goddess of Bees

Fabulinus:  God who teaches children to speak

Potina:  Goddess of children’s drinks

Does anybody recognize this god who has two faces?

This is Janus:  God of gates and doors.  He has two faces because he looks in and looks out.

Remember some time ago when schools -and other public buildings had janitors.  I think they’re called custodians now.  But remember the janitors:  they were the guys who had a key to every single door in the building.  He was in charge of cleaning the building but even more importantly he was in charge of locking up after everyone had gone home.  Then, he was the first one there in the morning to open all the doors.  Janus is where the word janitor comes from.

For the Romans the Janus was also the god of beginnings.  This is who they prayed to at the time crops were planted.  Janus was honored at the beginning of many Roman events.

Now we don’t have a god named Janus but we do have a month called January.  The beginning of a new year.

Now, there is some wisdom we can learn from this roman god of beginnings.  He looks forward into the new year and into the future.  But, he also looks back into the past and remembers.

We all probably make New Year’s resolutions of one kind or another.   Many have to do with quitting bad habits and starting some new good habits.  Eat better, exercise, study harder, write letters more often, stop watching the Jerry Springer show, etc…

Each year the many of the most popular dictionaries update their versions by including new words that have become part of our everyday language.  This year they added words such as: Social media, defriend, and exit strategy.  They also remove words that are rarely if ever used in everyday language.  This year they removed:

Embrangle:  To confuse

Malison: a curse

Olid:  Foul smelling

Recrement:  to refuse

Revelation 21:3-4 says:  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

And those words will be removed from the dictionary.

How nice would it be to live through 2011 and not use or even hear the word: Tragic. or  Sickness. or  hatred.

Now I know this may sound kind of ridiculous.  Of course, we’re not going to make it a whole year and avoid these words.  That sounds impossible.

So I’ll finish with one question for us to ask ourselves about 2011:  What humanly impossible thing are you going to ask God to do for you this coming year?