An Open Letter to 2020

Dear 2020,

Well, buddy, it won't be much longer until 2021 comes through that door.

We'll be waving you off, and honestly, there are several of us who are happy to see you go.

It's not your fault, I know, that things have been so hard. When you came on the scene, we were all full of so much hope and excitement. You were the first year of the 2020s decade, the 20th year of the third millennium. We had such big expectations!

But instead of sunshine and roses, we all were reminded that life is unpredictable and it's messy, and that it's full of conflict and doubts and struggles.

You've been a rollercoaster, for sure, 2020.

There's been the obvious shockers like the pandemic, protests and civil unrest, a tumultuous US election, and devastating Australian bushfires that decimated local wildlife. There's also been volcanic eruptions, the breakdown of the world economy (the worst we've seen since the Great Depression), and horrific flooding. There's been multiple deadly explosions, an impeachment trial, and you've been one of the warmest years in the history of our planet, furthering the truth that global warming is getting worse and worse.

You've had to carry a lot of hurt, pain, death, destruction, and chaos.

Look, I know you've gotten a bad rep, but the truth is that without you, we wouldn't have remembered how connected we all truly are. There's something about unprecedented experiences that unites us as fellow-humans, preserves and broadcasts our intrinsic human dignity, and reminds us that we are more alike than we initially thought. I mean, a pandemic doesn't care if you're extremely wealthy or supremely poor. Natural disasters don't care if you're a Christian or a Buddhist or an Atheist or a Jedi. You've levelled the playing field and called us out as equals, and we've been humbled by it.

You have shown us that the bad always has the potential to give us the opportunity to be the good we need to see. And we've been good to each other, I think, in a lot of ways.

Sure, we've had fights and division. But we've also come to terms with the fact that oneness doesn't mean sameness, and that unity doesn't mean uniformity. The most powerful unity happens in the midst of great trial and diversity.

You taught us that busyness does not equal effectiveness. You showed us that criticizing is so easy, but that those with character find goodness and bring attention to it instead of focusing on the bad. You taught us how to put people first again.

There's been loss, so much loss. But we've not had to endure the loss alone.

You've been a wild ride, 2020. There's no doubt most of us wish you had never happened; but I see God in you, 2020. I see God in the people of our planet who are doing the hard work of loving even when it hurts, in serving even when it isn't easy, in laughing even when crying is the more natural response.

I see God in those of us who are choosing to get out of bed in the morning even when we have every reason not to.

I see God in those who have worked on themselves -- made vast improvements -- even if no one else can see them, yet.

I see God in the churches who have had to go virtual, in the local businesses that have had to close but remain hopeful that better days are ahead.

I see God in the school systems that have wrestled with what to do, and how best to serve their teachers and students.

I see God in the neighbors who wave to each other from the balconies.

I see God in those who have been faithful in wearing a mask to protect others beyond themselves.

2020, you have shed a light on the forgotten ones of our communities. You've called us to rise up, to wake up, to extend our hands instead of closing our fists.

2020, you've brought us to our knees in humility, and have refined us like a cool flame.

I won't lie -- I hope your successor is a lot easier to live with.

But I thank you, 2020. I thank you for how you helped us all to grow collectively, how you made us better, more resilient people.

I hope we can continue to move forward carrying the lessons you taught us, in grace and in love.

Sincerely,

-MB