Happy New Year -

Preparing for the New Year:

JUDGE: [Justly Utilizing Discretion Generating Everything]

Is judgment really as harsh and final as we often make it out to be or is it more like an assessment? When we consult the basic meaning in the dictionary we find a much broader concept:

judgement - "the act of judging or assessing a person or situation or event." Another dictionary says, "the ability to judge, make a decision, or form an opinion objectively, authoritatively, and wisely, especially in matters affecting action; good sense; discretion."

In the first story of creation in the Hebrew scriptures we have the metaphor of "the days" and, after each "day" we hear that the "assessment" or "judgement" of God was good! At the end of all the "days" God makes the assessment that everything was good and very good!

The beginning of harsh judgement:

When you research the origin and history of the "doctrine of original sin" you can witness the variety of human thought from which it comes. St. Augustine of Hippo (11/13/354-8/28/430CE) was the apparent originator that became a doctrine in the Holy Roman Catholic Church. [ http://www.gospeltruth.net/menbornsinners/mbs03.htm ] According to the Orthodox Churches their Christian understanding is that, while humanity does bear the consequences of the original or first sin, humanity does not bear or inherit the personal guilt associated with this sin. Adam and Eve are guilty of their willful action; we bear the consequences, chief of which is death. [ https://oca.org/questions/teaching/st.-augustine-original-sin ] Eastern Orthodox Catholics and Roman Catholics resulted in what is known as the East-West Schism (or Great Schism) of 1054, when medieval Christianity split into  two separate branches. [ http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/the-split-that-created-roman-catholics-and-eastern.html ]

Within the Hebrew scripture, "Jews DO NOT believe in original sin. Jews believe that one is born into the world with original purity, not with original sin. We know human beings can choose to do evil, but Judaism does not dwell on that fact. Rather, we rejoice, as we believe Gd rejoices, when human beings choose to do good." [ http://www.whatjewsbelieve.org/explanation5.html ]

The Value of Assessment:

Today most cultures and communities have an annual traditional time on their calendars for moving from one year to the next, a judgement of the passing year to the new year.
[ http://www.newyearfestival.com/new-year-by-religions.html ]
This assessment, an annual custom in almost all cultures and communities continues today with preparation and celebration for another year in this 21st century. As this annual tradition continues perhaps the minority Christian doctrinal view of "original sin" will also mature toward a more progressive understanding from a harsh judgement to a compassionate assessment of God's love. May we learn to say amen to words in Genesis expressed after each day - "it was good, it was very good". Our custom of transition to a New Year in the Christian Faith also happens in other religious traditions; our Christian tradition begins with Advent, then Christmas and ends with New Year's Day.

Advent is a time of expectant waiting and preparation. Change is continuous but we experience it one day at a time and need to prepare for the diversity it brings along with the equality all of life. Advent gives us four weeks of imagination, inspiration and revelations from prophets and stories of history to nourish our present needs. It reviews the changes and diversity of our past histories with wisdom and encouragement to help us equalize and balance our faith for today.

Christmas is the annual festival of the birth of Jesus the Christ. It signals to us the joy of our own birth into this world and the gift of being "born from above" as God continue to recreate us with the on-going "breath" of life we received in the story of creation. The traditional 12 days of Christmas continues from December 25th until January 5th, the day before the Feast of the Epiphany beginning January 6th. As we move through this annual transitional time we are preparing for the beginning of another New Year.

The New Year is a time when the yearly calendar begins and opens an opportunity for a chance to start over as the new calendar begins. This day begins the venue for change, bring diversity in new ways that will equalize new opportunities. Having made our assessments (personal judgements) to move forward and advance, a resolution, "the quality of being determined or resolute," to change, diversify and equalize - renewing balance in our manner of living well.

I wish you well in using your Constitutional privilege to exercise your right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," - Happy and Healthy New Year!

Gerard A. Pisani, Jr