by Daniel S. Trout
And so the New Year approaches, surely (for many people) accompanied by resolutions, expectations, and perhaps even anxiety over what might transpire in the months to come. 2007 may have been—on a variety of levels—a difficult and disappointing year troubled by loss and perhaps even decisions that caused personal regret. Whatever the story or situation, an overflow of advice and consolation is usually offered at this juncture on the calendar, and people take what they can to pull themselves together and begin again. However, as Christians, we need to remember—perhaps right now more than ever—that it is not the power of a new message, a new mindset or a new strategy, but Jesus’ old and yet ever-constant call of “Follow me” that gives life and purpose to all seekers.
The difference, which I believe the Bible illuminates, lies in two contradictory evaluations of our humanity. In our American culture particularly, we appraise strength and success on an individual basis, constantly judging ourselves as we receive judgment from society; desperately, we compare our achievement with others to decide how we measure. Eventually we discover that we have become slaves to our own perceptions and sense of self-worth; even our “New Years resolutions” reflect the cheap grace of self-determination: hope and progress always lie within, placing ourselves at our own mercy. What a different impression we find in the Gospels! Absent is the selfish, privatized humanity of our own day for a life of continual self-surrender to Christ’s Gospel mission and the elect people with whom we are called. Of all Jesus’ discipleship caveats in the New Testament, the last is perhaps the most penetrating: “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). Our Lord cautions us that being his follower requires everything of us; we have to surrender ourselves completely, renouncing the world’s fallen individualism that would turn Christianity into a convenient “spirituality.” As hard as it is for our will to accept, being a disciple of Jesus costs us our very lives because with His blood He has purchased us for Himself. Now, as His Church, we find our hopes and horizons together in the mutual sacrifice to which we all submit. Yes, it is a demanding life, but the more we lose ourselves, the closer we come to within reach of life that is true and eternal.
Therefore, if Christians are to make any resolution, it is to more perfectly echo Paul’s words “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). The New Year should not rally us to self-betterment or personal possibility; instead, it should summon us to refocus on the work in the fields and to refuse to look back, wondering what we might be missing—when we’ve already lost it, anyway, through our baptism out of this world’s system and into the kingdom of God. Thus, with every trip to the altar we fundamentally acknowledge that Jesus’ incarnate life received is worth more than anything we can fabricate through our own creativity. To the world, our decision is absurd, but the reality is that a life without this sacrifice is inevitably unhealed, incomplete and forever lost. What remains for most elusive, the Church knows in her Eucharistic solidarity, manifesting before our eyes that all that is left behind pales in light of the unity and glory rewarded to those that unceasingly labor. As it was Christ’s life to do the will of the Father, may we find in the New Year cause for rejoicing in God’s will, looking to the harvest prepared for those dedicated enough to serve.
