Bishop Harold: A Spirit of Generosity for the New Year
Many people are entering the year 2012 with a spirit of foreboding. The outlook is gloomy in so many ways, with fears of finances being even tighter, poverty increasing and employment being harder to find than ever. That can lead to a culture of ‘dog eat dog’, or it can bring out in us a new sense of community, where we look out for those worse off than ourselves.
The year 2012 is also the beginning of a decade of anniversaries, some of which will resonate with different parts of our community in Northern Ireland. There has already been some controversy about how we might celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, and there will be those for whom the signing of the Solemn League and Covenant will be an occasion to remember. Later in the decade others will be equally keen to remember the 1916 rising. Thankfully, the Titanic and the wonderful new visitors’ centre in Titanic Quarter can be a place for all!
In the context of these things, I have three ‘wishes’ for the coming year:
I dare to believe that times like these, although tough, can be the very moments which help us to see more clearly the really important values, so that, by God’s grace, 2012 could turn out to be a very good year. That is my prayer for all of us.
+Harold
Down & Dromore