Commencing a fresh start in life requires careful retrospection and energy. We do acknowledge that a lot has really happened in the previous year. To some, it has been a rough year, of mistakes, pain and loss, joy, generosity and kindness, forgiveness and peace, decline and growth, giving and receiving, rejection and exclusion, welcome, inclusion and hospitality and the list is long. Words from the prophet Isaiah 43:18-19 remind us that there is always a fresh start as found in the following words of the scripture.
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
There have been many good things that have enhanced positive living and terrible things that have disrupted peace and the general normal life. The words in Isaiah offers a sense of hope. .’behold I am doing a new thing. The temptation is here is to try to concentrate thinking on the difficult part of life and whilst on the bigger picture, ignore what God might be trying to do. For in God, possibilities for a new beginning are many. For countries and continents that had never hosted a world cup before, 2022 was a special year to them and something to really be thankful for, to the almighty God.

To those not aware, the World Cup was held 20^th November up to18^th of December in Qatar. This in disguise turned into a huge blessing for the economy of Qatar and the Asian continent. It was the first World Cup ever to be held in the Arab and Muslim world, the second to be held in Asia after the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan. Prior to qualifying as the FIFA hosting nation, Qatar had never qualified in the World Cup since the country’s independence in 1971. During the World Cup, many folks found an opportunity to plan for their holiday to watch live matches in Qatar, or in the comfort of their own home with friends. By God’s grace the world cup ended peacefully. We praise God for this.

Today, we are reminded of the experiences of John Newton (1725-1807), formerly a slave trade captain, employed by a slave-trader named Clow, who owned a plantation of lemon trees on an island west of Africa.Clow and his household maid ended mistreating Newton in a very inhumane manner, forcing Newton to beg for food to relieve his hunger. Throughout these bitter experiences and careless living, he came into faith when God saved him from a shipwreck. He had been reading Thomas Kempis’s article, ‘The Imitation of Christ’. He was struck by a line about the “uncertain continuance of life.” He also recalled the passage in Proverbs, “Because I have called and ye have refused, … I also will laugh at your calamity.” (Prov 1;24-28). He converted during the storm, though he admitted later, “I cannot consider myself to have been a believer, in the full sense of the word. John Newton later joined the CofE as an ordained Priest, where he worked behind the scenes campaigning and supporting the work of William Wilberforce (1759 –1833, a member of the House of Lords and a British and anti-slavery campaigner) that saw the anti-slavery bill passed through a standing ovation bringing an end to the slavery business within all British colonies in 1807. Inspired by his own salvation experiences, John Newton wrote the ‘Amazing Grace Hymn’ which is influenced entirely by King David’s life as recorded in I Chronicles Chapter 17.
And if you were to similarly reflect on your life with a song, what could it look like?

At this stage of the year, we come before God to make a covenant with God. We also ought to be careful about new year resolutions as most of those made by people in the new year, either never get off the ground or are aborted within days, weeks, or a few months. At the beginning of this New Year, we discover we might be like John Newton needing a strong nudge from God to change us.