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It’s that time of year. As we change calendars, planners, file taxes and make plans we experience to one degree or another the rhythm of ending and beginning. We are saying goodbye to 2023 and hello to 2024. Some people use this rhythm as a time for reflection. Looking back on our past year can bring both celebration and discouragement.

“…is love, sweet love.” You’ve probably heard the song. It might be playing in your mind right now. The rest of the song goes on to say that we have enough mountains, hills, oceans, rivers, meadows etc., but what we need more of is, love. It’s not wrong.

Whenever I think about the angelic announcement, “Peace on earth…,” I also think about how much unrest and conflict there has been in the past 2,000 years. Local wars, world wars, civil, religious and land wars to name a few. World attention is focused on the war in Ukraine and Gaza but did you know that there are over 30 additional smaller wars going on in the world right now? If wars were the only unrest, millions would be at peace but there is unrest even when there is no official war.

There certainly is a lot of unhappiness in the world. Employees are unhappy. Students are unhappy. Marriages are unhappy. It’s so pervasive that there are unhappy corporations, unhappy families, unhappy teams and even unhappy churches!

Faith is our Advent theme this week. I’ve been fascinated for a long time by the phrase “little-faith.” Jesus used that term when the disciples were afraid, doubting or uncertain about how to proceed. It’s an interesting Greek phrase. It means, “lacking confidence,” but “little” seems to mean that we need “more.” Would it be better if we had “a lot” of faith rather than a “little?” Apparently it’s not about the amount of faith.