Friday, January 2, 2009

the old man

Here in Latin America they have an interesting tradition that for the New Year they build a paper man stuffing him with fireworks and old newspapers. They usually will put an old T-shirt and pants on him and when it's exactly 12 a.m. on New Year's Eve they pour gasoline on him and set him on fire. They call him El Viejo Ano or the Old Year. It's symbolic of being done with the old year and looking forward to the new one. As I think about this unique way of celebrating a new year I cannot help but think of how it relates to all of us who have put our faith in Christ. The Scripture tells us that "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." 2 Cor. 5:17 Literally the person we were before is dead, and we experience a rebirth. We are remade. We have a new beginning, a new life because of the work done for us on the cross. My prayer is that we will live this year, 2009, as Christ's new creation. All of our sins, our old life, has been burned away! Maybe we need to have a burning of our own, but instead of it representing the Old Year, it be our old life.

"...putting off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its Creator." Col 3:9-10