As we come to the last few days and hours of the year 2005 and are ready to knock the doors of 2006, I am reminded of the tragedy of our lives. I know for many of you as soon as you read the word tragedy “you were thinking of the Tsunami, and Katrina…etc”. No I am not talking about the natural calamities that caused tragedy; I am talking about the tragedy of the pace of our life that is so fast that it has no time to pause, reflect and cherish the year that is passing. I do not know if there was ever a year in my life as an adult when I did not say “how quickly this year has passed”. But instead of taking some time to reflect on this realization, I often jumped into the responsibilities and duties of the next year.
My life could be best described as a hop and jump race from one year to the next. I jumped from 2000 to 2001, 2001 to 2002, and in a few days we will all jump from 2005 to 2006 and even before we realize the new year will become old and be soon gone. I am often tempted to ask a basic question: So why are we rushing and speeding? There is an old saying, “If you climb to the top of the mountain but haven’t enjoyed the journey, then it wasn’t a successful climb.” But what a shame it would be to reach the summit in a record time but to have missed out all the spectacular and majestic views along the way. The richness of life’s journey is not in reaching the destination fast, it is in enjoying every moment and every day of our existence.
The richness of life’s journey is not in reaching the destination fast, it is in enjoying every moment and every day of our existence.
2005 was called the year of disasters. The devastating Tsunami on 26th December, 2004 dominated the news into the early part of our new year 2005. Pope John Paul II’s death marked the passing of the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. The war in Iraq and the devastating wave of suicide bombings have become too familiar for many of us. The impact of Hurricane Katrina was stunning; it killed more than 1,300 people and submerged 80% of New Orleans, forcing the largest urban dislocation in U.S. history. As if this was not sufficient Hurricanes Wilma and Rita also inflicted further damage. A massive earthquake near the Pakistan-India border killed more than 87,000, and left more than 3 million homeless.
“The purpose of an adventure is not where you end up; it is what you discover along the way”.
I sometimes wonder if anybody else in human history had the opportunity to witness so many tragedies (natural calamities) in one year. Well, here we stand at the brink of the year that witnessed so many tragedies, yet it is shocking that most of us are just moving into the next year as if nothing has happened at all. I am not asking you to stop everything and mourn for the rest of your life, but I do think it is very important for each of us to pause and reflect on what we can observe and learn from the year 2005 before we move into the year 2006. Because unlike most universities that offer the same course again and again, the lessons we can learn from life’s journey only come once and if we miss it then, we may not have another opportunity to learn these lessons.
A wise man once said “The purpose of an adventure is not where you end up; it is what you discover along the way”. Did you ever realize that millions of people die each year and exist no longer to observe, learn and appreciate what you and I experience almost every day of our life? Yes life is not rosy and always pleasant; though it is often tough and sometimes seems cruel, life is a wonderful blessing and an unmatched journey. God has a greater purpose of blessing us with life and opportunities, which has to do with what we learn along the way.
Unfortunately appreciation for life and learning will almost never happen in a life that is racing from one thing to the other, it only happens in a journey where one takes time to pause, slow down and reflect on not only what is going on in one’s life but also in his/her surroundings and the world around. It is the intentional slowing down that gives us the opportunity to pause, reflect, evaluate our journey and appreciate God’ s goodness and faithfulness in our lives. Remember the psalmist’s words “Be still, and know…”. (Ps 46:10). It is almost impossible to observe, know and learn without choosing to be still, and if all these events in 2005 cannot force us to pause, still and reflect, I do not know what else can. Take time to reflect and don’t miss the lessons we can learn from 2005.
Appreciation for life and learning will almost never happen in a life that is racing from one thing to the other, it only happens in a journey where one takes time to pause, slows down and reflect…
– – Author: Rev. Francis Burgula – –
