NEW YEAR’S MESSAGES 2007
Chairman and General Superintendent of the Methodist Church Of The Gambia
Wednesday 3rd January 2007

On behalf of the Methodist Church in The Gambia, I bring you greetings at the start of this New Year and pray that all that you hope for in 2007 will be fulfilled.

The Methodist Church in The Gambia has an emblem, which is a shield bearing a palm tree in one section and a bible in another, and underneath are words taken from Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, which say ‘In everything give thanks’. That’s our motto and it suggests that whatever happens in our lives there is always cause to give God thanks.

LOOKING BACK WITH THANKS

 As we look back over the year that has just gone I can think of many things which have happened which give us good reason to be thankful – here in The Gambia and here in our church.

I met a tourist recently who comes to The Gambia every year for his holiday – and he said to me that in all the years that he has been coming to this country he had never seen so much progress as he did when he came this year. He was referring to all the new roads and buildings and street lights, which to him made an obvious difference as he came from the airport to his hotel. It’s a reason to give thanks, as we see development taking shape around us and we are all grateful for those who have led the way in this development – our President, those in government and those in industry and commerce.

In the Methodist Church, too, we have seen some progress as this year we have added a Dental Clinic to the five Medical Clinics that our church runs in the Kombo West Division. We have been delighted at the developments in our Agricultural programme as well, working with other NGO’s in helping communities to learn how to organize and maintain farms, in providing wells where there was inadequate water supply before and in starting a tree planting project in the Central River Division. Our schools too have made good progress, producing good exam results and the Young People of our Church have been mobilized into Christian service and witness, through a successful camp and a wonderful District Youth Choir.

I trust that it’s the same with you – that you can look back over the 12 months of 2006 and say ‘yes, there were events which made changes in my life or in the organisation to which I belong which have made this year special for me’ and that you can say ‘in everything, give thanks’.

LOOKING BACK WITH REGRETS

Yet there are inevitably some things about 2006 that have made changes to our lives that we did not expect and did not want. After all, not all change is progress.

I know that there are many people who will be glad that the past year is over as the changes in their lives were not reasons for joy but reasons for sadness. Maybe you have lost a loved one or maybe you, or a close family member, have been a victim of tragedy or disaster.  Certainly, events in our world have included wars and murders and bombings and natural disasters that sadden our hearts with their devastating consequences and effect. 

It’s strange how two people can look at exactly same thing and describe it so differently. If two people have been to the same football match, for instance, and one supported the winning side and the other one supported the losers – of course you are going to hear two totally different views on whether it was a good game or not. And it’s the same when looking back on the year that has just gone – if you have had bad luck and unfortunate experiences in your life, then there is no way that you are going to describe 2006 as a ‘good year’ for you. And if you’ve not had any good years for a while, then why expect anything different in 2007?

But let me remind you of our Methodist motto again – ‘In everything, give thanks’ – yes it really does say ‘everything’ and presumably that includes at least some of those things that we didn’t want to happen.  So when we encounter difficulties and when things happen that we can’t comprehend, is it possible to still thank God?

LOOKING FORWARD TO CHANGE

Let me quote another part of the Bible where it says, ‘when anyone is in Christ – there is a new creation’. To me this gives the clue as to how we can have hope for the future, because this is not saying that life is going to be easy if you are a person of faith, but what it is saying, is that somehow, if you take a position of faith you will see things differently. It’s not the world that changes – it’s the person with faith who changes and the whole world takes on a different complexion.

Some find it hard to believe that people can change – we say things like ‘ a leopard can’t change its spots’ or ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks’ – as though the last thing in the world that can happen is for a naturally bad tempered person to become better tempered or a miserable person to become happy or for someone who has lost their way ever to find a purpose and meaning for their life again. Yet at the heart of the Christian message is the notion that we can change – not with our own efforts, but with the power and strength that God provides.

The month of January takes its name from a Roman god called Janus – and the legend says that this god had two heads – one which looked back and one which looked forward. And in a sense that’s what I’m trying to do now – looking back and seeing what has been good and what has been not so good about the year that has finished – and yet when it comes to looking forward, there’s the problem – no-one can predict what is going to happen – all we can do is try and learn from our past experiences.

IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS

It’s sad when we just repeat our mistakes instead of learning from them and I would ask , at the beginning of the year, that we take the attitude that whatever happens we shall ensure that we acknowledge that God is with us – helping us, guiding us and leading us – knowing then that whatever happens we can ‘in everything give thanks to God’.

Let me quote what St. Paul says leading up to this statement:

‘We ask you brothers and sisters, to respect those who labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.’

If we heeded that advice it wouldn’t necessarily mean that in 2007 everything will be just as we want it to be, but it would mean that we would be much better equipped to face whatever comes in the strength that the Lord provides.

May God bless you and may you have a peaceful and happy New Year and, in everything, may you give thanks.