Happy New Year!
Michelle: It’s 2017! And the best gift that I am so thankful for in 2016 is the gift of life and of family. It was a tough year. Seeing how typhoon Nina broke so many hearts and lives made me realize even more that material gifts are not what really matter. What matters most are relationships and the time that we have been given to be together with the people who are dear to us.
DJ: Nina is said to be the strongest typhoon that hit Bicol in 10 years. It left wrecked houses in pools of mud and toppled electric posts, putting the region in utter darkness. Two other major storms also swept the country and the world in 2016—the local and the US elections. They actually revealed the worst and the best in people. I have not seen that level of bashing and intolerance across all camps which carved a deep divide between friends and even families. But I have seen heroes too, people who taught me how to better treat others with love and respect, that being a good person is not dependent on race, culture or religion.
M: What happened during these elections bothered me too. But it also moved me to take a step back and reflect. The weeks leading to Christmas day were a flurry of activities for many of us. Last minute shopping, wrapping gifts, attending Christmas parties, feasting on rich, delicious food had many of us focused on everything except on the Reason of the season and what His birth meant—love.
DJ: It’s interesting how the child Jesus chose to be born in a place as unpretentious as a manger. It’s also intriguing how He first revealed Himself to the shepherds and the three wise men. These characters were like who we see today as weird, different and even dodgy. And all throughout His life, He was with fishermen, prostitutes and tax collectors, characters who were like today’s outcasts, unschooled or even sinners. From start to finish, He was with fellows perceived to be blemished, broken and flawed. Christmas is indeed a time to relearn how to see the world through the eyes of love. While the world is made up of imperfect people, we are all loved by a Father for who we are on the inside. And I wish to see more of that in 2017. M: The lines from the song Do They Know It’s
Christmas by Band Aid sums up what I felt last Christmas. “It’s Christmas time; there’s no need to be afraid. At Christmas time, we let in light and we banish shade. And in our world of plenty we can spread a smile of joy. Throw your arms around the world at Christmas time. But say a prayer; pray for the other ones. At Christmastime it’s hard, but when you’re having fun. There’s a world outside your window. And it’s a world of dread and fear. Where the only water flowing is the bitter sting of tears. And the Christmas bells that ring there are the clanging chimes of doom, well tonight thank God it’s them instead of you.” Let’s be grateful this new year for what we have and what we do not have. At the end of the day, the things that matter are not things.
DJ: The new year stands before us like a new chapter in a story. If we use its pages in judging others, then it’s likely that we will live in a harsh and hostile world. But if we build bridges of understanding, forgiveness and acceptance, then the greatest love story that started one starry, starry night will continue to live in us and through us today and always. To have a happy new year is certainly up to us. Wink!