Should Auld Acquaintance be forgot...?

The question mark is mine, not the immortal Robbie Burns', I think. IS it a statement, or a question? Well, I don't know what Scotland's greatest had in mind, but for me it's a bit of both.

As the timeless words of Auld Lang Syne ring out across millions of places over thousands of kilometres of land and sea today, I'll be taking a cup of kindness indeed- tonight at a party in Eastbourne. But as I sing, I'll also be thinking "Yes" and "no". Like life itself, ALS is a contradiction.

"Yes" the auld acquaintance with the horrors of 2005 which show man or nature at his worst should be forgotten, but the people it affects even today should not. "Yes", the acquaintance with the sadness and the sorrows and the things that have held us back, sometimes for months, sometimes for years, or even decades, should be consigned to the compactor of healed memories, like the dustmen and the recyclers doing their round today collecting all our Christmas detritus.

But then again, "No": the auld and indeed the new acquaintances who mean so much should be brought to mind frequently for their love, their support, their fun, their personalities- and their prayers. The lost loved ones of this last year should be ours, treasured in our memory, not just on New Year's Eve but through all of life.

For Auld Lang Syne- for Old Time's Sake- for the hopes and fears of all the years, not just the one now dying, let us give thanks to the "Potentate of Time", whose footprints span the gap not just between 2005 and 2006, but between man's time and God's eternity.

Here's to the time beyond time, coming some time soon. Thanks for persevering with my ramblings throughout 2005. If you want to let me know what you've thought of any of them, or your own views, please make use of the "comment" tab now, with thanks to all who have already. I hope you enjoy your New Year's, as they say in the States. And here's to your health, happiness and well being, this New Year and always.

Cheers, and I'll see you the other side of the international dateline in 2006!

God Bless