Goodbye, 2020

Every year, I try to pause and reflect on the year we are leaving behind. The goal is to say goodbye to the ones who left us, let go of the burdens that should not move forward, and reflect on the events that should reshape us.

2020 was filled with disasters on an epic scale. We became numb to the numbers of sick and dead. Horrible events followed each other so quickly that they blended together into a toxic cloud that constantly hung over us. But in the midst of it all, hope wouldn’t die. It continued to rise out of the ashes as we held onto faith that better days lie ahead.

Here is my summary of 2020.

Glad to Leave Behind

This list could consume my post. There are so many things we want to bury in 2020. COVID-19 infected 82 million people worldwide and claimed the lives of 1.8 million. Quarantine and lockdown overwhelmed the popular vernacular, exploding out of their previous relegation to hospital or prison settings. Fires in Australia and California destroyed a 50-million-acre area the size of South Dakota. Thirty tropical storms set a hurricane-season record.

The entire world went into a recession. The U.S. unemployment rate set all-time records. Churches closed their doors when we needed them most. Nobody can count the number of businesses that have permanently shuttered.

Dark Sides of Our Humanity Were Exposed

The president was impeached. Extremists made plans to kidnap the governor of Michigan. A bomb was detonated in downtown Nashville. Stories of unarmed black men dying at the hands of police filled the news. Protesters’ messages were lost during the wanton destruction of many of our cities. The Boys Scouts sought bankruptcy protection due to sexual abuse lawsuits.

QAnon emerged from the darkness of our hearts. We got scared and hoarded toilet paper and groceries instead of sharing with our neighbors. Domestic violence, depression, and alcohol abuse rates skyrocketed when our freedoms were curtailed.

Signs of Hope Emerged

Voter turnout in national elections hit an all-time record high. The country stood together to declare that it is time to end systemic racism. Nurses, teachers, and other front-line workers became celebrated heroes. Food distribution programs overflowed. Millions viewed as John Krasinksi shared Some Good News. We anxiously watched an owl being saved from a Christmas tree in Rockefeller Plaza.

Voices of Inspiration Were Silenced

Ruth Bader Ginsburg defended her closing case. John Lewis marched his last mile. Chuck Yeager explored his final frontier.

Actors, Musicians, and Athletes Who Inspired Us Were Laid to Rest

Alex Trebek and Regis Philbin hosted their finales. Kirk Douglas, Sean Connery, Brian Dennehy, and Jerry Stiller have become stories themselves. Little Richard, Kenny Rogers, Bill Withers, Eddie van Halen, Charlie Daniels, and Charlie Pride are now echoes. Kobe Bryant, Gale Sayers, Joe Morgan, and so many other exceptional athletes have played their final games.

It is hard to comprehend the past twelve months or put it into context for anyone who wasn’t there. Before the New Year is in full swing, I want to pause to reflect on the good and the bad, as well as the people who inspired me or made me laugh. All of it is now part of our collective history.

In the face of so much change, how will I be different in 2021?

WIth each person that passes into eternity, I have to decide what part of them to keep alive. For every person who is marginalized or victimized, I have to choose if I will take up their cause. What lessons have I been taught that I must now turn and teach to a new generation? Who will I share my remaining time with, showering them with the same love I’ve seen the Father pour out?

2020 may be over, but it will never be forgotten. God help us use it to build a better tomorrow.

My final act of this year will be to bury the past 365 days. It is a symbolic way of laying down burdens who have no place where we are going, of mourning the people who will be missed, and reflecting on who I will become.

The picture at the beginning of the post is my “burn boat” for this year. I will write a letter of all the things I am leaving behind as I enter the new year and place it into the boat. Several of my friends will be with me and do the same thing. As the boat is pushed into the pool and lit on fire in Viking style, 2020 will disappear in smoke as I pray for God to guide my future paths.

If I left out a special moment or person that impacted you, I hope you will add them into the Comments below.

Happy New Year, everyone.