News Year resolutions are popular as a way of committing to changing something about us, whether it’s our weight, our look, our social media, charity, etc. . . However, this is not a new trend by any means. Roman soldiers had their own distinct ritual that can teach us something about looking forward and not behind.
Janus was a god worshiped in ancient Rome. The name Janus means doorway, passageway, or archway. Ceremonial arches were erected in honor of Janus throughout the Roman Empire. When their armies went to war, they would march in a choreographed precession through a Janus-inspired archway. This expression of superstitious confidence in Janus, who was considered the god of beginnings, was a means of looking forward to the future. The month of January is named after Janus, who was depicted as a man with two faces. One face looked back, bearing traces of sorrow, dismay, and perplexity; the other looked forward, personifying hope and confidence. The symbol of Janus taught that there are two ways to live. We can either live in the misery of yesterday’s failure, or live in the hope of a new beginning. The idea displayed through this ritual was one of hope for success within war.
In our culture today, we have a similar ritual. Every year, myriads of people make New Year’s resolutions, wanting to forget what was behind and hope for success within the new year. We find ourselves looking back at the previous year, at all of the goals we wish we accomplished, at all of the failures we loathe, and resolve to have a better and more successful new year. Yet, through these resolutions, we tend to focus on the things personified through Janus: wealth, success, and health. However, the Christic event of the cross provides us with a unique view on this love of new beginnings.
In Christ, we as Christians have our own unique means of new beginning. While our new years resolutions tend to focus on ourselves, our desires, and our wants, Christ calls us to model him within our new beginning of moving from a life separated from Him to one in true relationship with Him.
Every day there is the opportunity to look forward through the salvific event and not look behind towards a life of sin and death.
While the Janus’ archways focused on the wants of individual who would walk through it, the new beginning of salvation through Christ focuses on picking up our own crosses and dying to ourselves daily. In Matthew 16:24 we find Jesus saying to his disciples: “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me.” We have a hope of a new beginning, the beginning of living our lives for Christ and living it for others.
This hope is found in Jesus, not Janus. During this time of year, many of us are wanting to start over. We want to have a better beginning. But the the only way to have that beginning, that fresh start, is through Jesus Christ. Paul told the Corinthian church about this process, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
God is not looking for the perfect but He is looking for those who will look for Him.
Through Jesus’s obedience to live, die, and rise again, we have the opportunity of a new beginning. This new beginning is one that we must work at every day, one that calls us to be like Christ. Our new beginning calls us to turn from our personal desires and wants, and calls us to live out a life that Christ calls us, one of loving God and loving others (and not just caring about what we want).
Maamuzi ya Mwaka wa Habari ni maarufu kama njia ya kujitolea kubadilisha kitu kuhusu sisi, iwe ni uzito wetu, sura yetu, vyombo vyetu vya habari vya kijamii, misaada, nk. . . Hata hivyo, hii si mwelekeo mpya kwa njia yoyote. Wanajeshi wa Roma walikuwa na desturi zao za kipekee ambazo zinaweza kutufundisha jambo fulani kuhusu kutazama mbele na si nyuma. Janus alikuwa mungu aliyeheshimiwa na watu wengi huko Roma ya kale. Jina Janus linamaanisha mlango, njia, au mlango wa upinde. Vipande vya sherehe vilijengwa kwa heshima ya Janus kotekote katika Milki ya Roma. Majeshi yao yalipoenda vitani, yalipiga hatua kwa utaratibu kupitia ukumbi uliotengenezwa kwa mtindo wa Janus. "Hiyo ilikuwa ishara ya imani ya ushirikina katika Janus, ambaye alionwa kuwa mungu wa mwanzo, na ilikuwa njia ya kutazamia wakati ujao.""" Mwezi wa Januari ulipewa jina la Janus, ambaye alifanikiwa kuwa mtu mwenye nyuso mbili. Uso mmoja ulitazama nyuma, ukiwa na alama za huzuni, mshangao, na mshangao; ule mwingine ulitazama mbele, ukiwa na tumaini na uhakika. Ishara ya Janus ilifundisha kwamba kuna njia mbili za kuishi. Tunaweza ama kuishi katika taabu ya kushindwa jana, au kuishi katika matumaini ya mwanzo mpya. Wazo lililoonyeshwa kupitia desturi hii lilikuwa tumaini la mafanikio katika vita. Katika utamaduni wetu wa leo, tuna desturi kama hiyo. Kila mwaka, maelfu ya watu hufanya azimio la Mwaka Mpya, wakitaka kusahau kile kilichokuwa nyuma na matumaini ya mafanikio ndani ya mwaka mpya. Tunapotazama nyuma mwaka uliopita, kwa malengo yote tunayotamani kutimiza, kwa kushindwa kwa kila kitu tunachokichukia, na kuamua kuwa na mwaka mpya bora na wa mafanikio zaidi. Hata hivyo, kupitia azimio hilo, tunaelekea kukazia fikira mambo yanayoonyeshwa na Janus: utajiri, mafanikio, na afya. Hata hivyo, tukio la Kristo la msalaba hutupa mtazamo wa kipekee juu ya upendo huu wa mwanzo mpya. Katika Kristo, sisi kama Wakristo tuna njia yetu ya kipekee ya kuanza upya. Ingawa maandiko yetu ya mwaka mpya yanaelekea kujishughulisha na sisi wenyewe, tamaa zetu, na matakwa yetu, Kristo anatutaka kumfuata katika mwanzo wetu mpya wa kuhamia kutoka maisha yaliyojitenga na Yeye hadi moja katika uhusiano wa kweli na Yeye. Kila siku kuna fursa ya kutazama mbele kupitia tukio la wokovu na si kuangalia nyuma kuelekea maisha ya dhambi na kifo. Wakati Janus archways ililenga mahitaji ya mtu binafsi ambaye angetembea kupitia hiyo, mwanzo mpya wa wokovu kupitia Kristo unazingatia kuchukua msalaba wetu wenyewe na kufa kwa sisi wenyewe kila siku. "Katika Mathayo 16:24 Yesu anawaambia wanafunzi wake, ""Ikiwa yeyote anataka kuwa mfuasi wangu, lazima aache njia zake za ubinafsi, achukue msalaba wake, na kunifuata."" - Mathayo 16:24 ""Hata hivyo, tunatazamia kuanza upya, kuanza kuishi maisha yetu kwa ajili ya Kristo na kuishi kwa ajili ya wengine." Tumaini hili linapatikana katika Yesu, si Janus. Katika kipindi hiki cha mwaka, wengi wetu tunatamani kuanza upya. Tunataka kuwa na mwanzo bora. Lakini njia pekee ya kupata mwanzo mpya ni kupitia Yesu Kristo. Paulo aliwaambia kanisa la Korintho kuhusu mchakato huu, <unk>Kwa hiyo, ikiwa mtu yeyote yuko katika Kristo, yeye ni kiumbe kipya. Mambo ya zamani yamepita; tazama, mambo mapya yamekuja. - 2 Wakorintho 5:17. Mungu haitafuti watu wakamilifu, lakini anatafuta watu wanaomtafuta. Kwa sababu ya utii wa Yesu wa kuishi, kufa, na kufufuka, tuna nafasi ya kuanza upya. Ni mwanzo mpya ambao ni lazima tufanye kazi kila siku, moja ambayo inatuita kuwa kama Kristo. Mwanzo wetu mpya unatuita tuache tamaa na matakwa yetu ya kibinafsi, na kutufanya tuishi maisha ambayo Kristo anatuita, moja ya kumpenda Mungu na kupenda wengine (na si kujali tu kile tunachotaka).