So, 2014 is almost over. What a year it’s been. This year I gained a wife, a new home, new family, new job, new Church family, released a new record, wrote for some national and international press about God, disability, music and politics (who knew I would have anything to say about politics) and did a whole lot besides. I love my wife. I love my job. I still hope that I’ll write a book in 2015. Things are fantastic. Mostly.
Being disabled is a right pain in the bottom, and as Britain hurtles absent-mindedly to the right it’s getting harder and harder to feel part of anything in a society which appears to wish I didn’t exist. What to do about this? Quite apart from any sociological concerns, I’m getting older (cue violins), there are more aches, more pains, more spasms, and sadly, more belly to go round. I can only really do anything about the last one. It’ll be interesting to see how things are this time next year on the other fronts.
What’s the single biggest thing I’ve learnt this year, I hear you ask….Well I’m going to tell you even if you don’t want to know. What I’ve learnt is that we need each other. We need God too I think, but you might disagree with that. It is unquestionable though, whatever your position on faith, or lack of it, that we can’t do this life thing alone.There’s a real sense I have that we are being consistently encouraged to be more and more about ourselves, individually, or about our family units alone, our tribes are getting smaller and smaller. We are made to think that we can’t cope with bigger tribes or families, the strain will be too much. Human beings were never meant to be individuals. They were meant to be people groups, communities, sharing the joys and sorrows of life together, caring for one another. Without compassion a person, a society is merely a hard-working automaton. Don’t lose sight of the other. When you see the other, don’t fear them, embrace them. You’re an “other” to them too….
Have a wonderful 2015. Thanks for reading and engaging this year.