A New Year!

Maybe you found yourself (as I did) thinking lately about, “Auld Lang Syne”. I was curious about this often sung (or hummed!) favorite of New Year’s Eve. I was surprised by what my brief research unveiled. Some of the more interesting details include:

• “The words auld lang syne literally mean ‘old long since,’ though in practice it means ‘old times, especially times fondly remembered,’ as well as an ‘old or long friendship.’ It’s from the Scots language.[1]
• “A ‘cup o’ kindness’ refers to the age-old tradition of sharing a drink with friends—a simple yet powerful gesture of camaraderie. It’s a toast to good spirits and lasting bonds that makes us cherish both the past and the promise of a new year.”[2]
• “The song describes a pair of friends reminiscing and raising a drink for old time’s sake. On a deeper level, the poem is interpreted as a reflection on the fleeting nature of life and time as well as the importance of friendship and the bonds we form throughout our lives.”[3]
• “People would sing with their arms crossed and hands joined as a parting ritual at many Masonic lodges.”[4] Some follow this tradition without knowing the association with the Masonic cult.  

I definitely found some noble details and some that were not so noble. As I read through the lyrics of each stanza, I was shocked by all the references to drinking. Most people have no idea what they are humming to! As usual, I felt empty after trying to find some meaningfulness in this widely held secular tradition. It reminded me of a time almost 40 years ago when I wanted to find a meaningful souvenir for my 2-year-old at the San Diego Zoo. I found nothing, but as I was leaving someone gave me a tract about Jesus! He is who satisfies my longings! I’m still relearning that lesson as a scroll on Facebook or news feeds or look to friendships or what I can offer others for some kind of satisfaction…satisfaction I never find! To who or what do you look to in order to satisfy the longings of your soul? How is God prompting you to give up those secular pursuits that will never satisfy? Only Jesus satisfies our souls! Psalm 63:1–8 says it so well:

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.

Also, turning to a life-giving song (as opposed to “Auld Lang Syne”) filled with truth, I find inspiration and meaning for the year to come. Consider these insightful words from Frances Ridley Havergal’s hymn, “Another Year is Dawning”:

1. Another year is dawning! Dear Master, let it be,
In working or in waiting, another year with thee.
Another year of leaning upon thy loving breast,
Of ever deeper trusting, of Quiet, happy rest.

2. Another year of mercies, of faithfulness and grace,
Another year of gladness enlightened by thy face.

Another year of progress, another year of praise,
Another year of proving Thy presence all the days.

3. Another year of service, of witness for thy love;
Another year of training for holier work above.
Another year is dawning! Dear Master, let it be,
On earth or else in heaven, another year for thee!

May you and I ponder the beauty of who God is and be satisfied way beyond any secular pursuit, as we begin 2025!

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Image from “52 Best ‘Happy New Year 2025,’ Images, Stock Photos, and Vectors/Adobe Stock,” accessed December 26, 2024, https://t3.ftcdn.net/jpg/01/10/15/48/360_F_110154834_xIJpL0OV9Ij21pmxk6jx1yodrw1jidVW.jpg.   

[1] “What Does ‘Auld Lang Syne’ Actually Mean?” Dictionary.com, December 22, 2021, accessed December 25, 2024, https://www.dictionary.com/e/auld-lang-syne-meaning/.      

[2] Brandon Specktor, “What Does ‘Auld Lang Syne’ Mean and How did it Become a New Year’s Song?” Reader’s Digest, December 4, 2024, accessed December 25, 2024, https://www.rd.com/article/what-does-auld-lang-syne-mean/.

[3] Andrew Smart, “What is the Mening Behind Robert Burns’s Auld Lang Syne?” The National, December 20, 2024, accessed December 25, 2024, https://www.thenational.scot/news/24811409.meaning-behind-robert-burnss-auld-lang-syne/.   

[4] Ibid.