My hope and prayer for each of you is that the turning of this thing we’ve made to mark the passage of time will be an occasion for reflection and anticipation – a chance to look back and think about experiences shared, lessons learned, challenges encountered – and to look forward with hope. I heard an interview with the novelist Barbara Kingsolver this past week, in which she talked a bit about the nature of hope. Kingsolver is best known as a writer whose themes consistently include the impact of climate change, and she offers a sometimes stark assessment of the consequences of continued heedless life on this planet. In light of that, the interviewer asked her about the nature of her own personal hope. I think Kingsolver’s reply might be instructive for all of us as we head into a new year. Her reply was that hope is something she chooses – something she puts on in the morning “like her shoes”. Her core motivation, as she illustrated it in that conversation, is her love for her own family and her concern for their future. I find that a resonant idea, and I look forward to moving into the New Year together with a community of folks that choose hope in combination with meaningful action.

On the matter of meaningful action, I also look forward to sharing some details about a new initiative we will be undertaking in 2018 that will bring the sharing of hope with others just a bit closer to home. That’s all I’ll say for now…