As our Information Technology guru often tells me whenever I have a stubborn computer problem “Danny, have you tried re-booting your computer?”
Usually that does the trick and I am back up and running. Unfortunately, I have tried and tried to re-boot 2020 and it doesn’t appear to be working at all. Is it even possible to re-boot an entire year? Where’s the Control-Alt-Delete buttons anyway?
To be sure, we have experienced things in 2020 on a scale that I have never experienced in my 50 years on this planet. From the Covid-19 Pandemic, to racial protests, to Murder Hornets it seems like this year cannot get any more unnerving. But would we re-boot 2020 if we had the chance? What would it look like? Would we just be pushing all of these issues down the road until 2021?
I think many of the local, national and international events that have turned our world upside down this year were probably to be expected, in one form or another. We are experiencing our year of reckoning, whether it be health related, civil rights related, or even killer insect related. In a period of time where we have grown to be soft and undisciplined, 2020 has been a good reminder that we are all humans and we must face crises head on. While our country is as polarized as ever, we must strive to find those issues that unite us. And as I have preached many times before, we MUST take the time to LISTEN to other people’s opinions on issues. We are not obligated to change our positions, but we must maturely engage with each other. We must not strive to be the loudest voice, but to be the most thoughtful.
I have often said that the most dangerous part of the human body is the mouth (not just because it can transmit Covid-19). Mean words, thoughtless expressions, rude comments. They all come from the mouth (or the hands, when we type social media posts that are designed to hurt others). We need to focus more on the ears. Listening. And hopefully use our brains to coordinate more enlightened and reasonable thoughts that can then be politely and non-judgmentally expressed through our mouths and hands.
So in 2020, if we cannot re-boot this year (and make me 49 again), please think about what changes you can make to turn 2020 from a downer year, to a year of growth, maturity and kindness.