On the 7th day of Christmas (and on New Year's Eve) ... a video from John Lennon. I already posted my year-end reflections (see the post titled Another Year Over) so I won't repeat those reflections here. But this is the song of that post, so here it is.



Brief theological reflection: This song is a little works-righteous-y, isn't it? "What have we done?" Well, it's true, John Lennon doesn't always have the theology quite right. (See: Imagine, which inappropriately blames God-love for our problems.) But what he misses in theological precision - refined edges and all - he makes up for in sheer force of moral truth. (See: Truth, Gimme Some.) And the moral truth for any Lutheran should be clear by the end of the video, when placards are shown saying "War is Over - If You Want It." We do not end the war to be set free; rather, we have been set free to end the war. If we want it. If we want it. If we want it, Christ has set us free to end all of our little wars, little ones and big ones alike. The beginning of a New Year is just one more time to renew that intrinsically baptismal calling.

Well. There's my New Year's Eve sermon (look, I'm on sabbatical here, I don't get much chance for preaching these days :)). Tonight we're headed out to the Guadalajara downtown to hear some New-Year's-Eve mariachi music with the tapatíos. Feliz Año Nuevo a todos!