In the Old Testament, the New Year ("Head of the Year") was "Rosh Hoshanah." It is followed ten days later by Yom Kippur- ("Day of Atonement")- Levitcus 23:27-32 (16:1-34; Nbrs 29:7-11).
In our culture we talk about "turning over a new leaf" (a description similar to starting a new page of our lives); Wiping the slate clean and more.
It is important to believe we can have a second chance. Forgiveness, and the ability to get beyond the pain of the past and the mistakes that hold us down, is so very important. Forgiveness frees us. Truly an artificial calendar is just a measurement of time. A new year is but a mile marker. In the face of eternity, time is but a very small subset that we try to measure to help us understand our finitude. Christ came to free us from our sins and to give us the power to move on from our mistakes, our sins, and even the mean things that we have had to face that are beyond our control. Jesus describes this change like being born all over again (John 3). It is a true fresh start. Paul put it like this: "If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. Old things are passed away, behold everything has become new" (2 Cor. 5:17). Just saying that badness or sadness or madness is in the past does not really help. We need the power of God to help us rise above. The death of the man-God was the second most powerful spiritual event ever. The resurrection after that death shows us the power of God to rise above human sin, and to take us with Him in that freedom.
In the wake of terrorist attacks, in the the shattering of our comfort zones with the threat of fear, it is important to know- no one can take away our eternal life. No terror can defeat our ultimate peace. This life is full of trouble. Jesus said it- "In this world you will have trouble- but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." So... yes, we can still wish and pray for each other's peace and happiness in the new year.
