One of my clergy colleagues and friends offered a number of us a star with a suggested word for us to use as “our word” through 2026. I asked her to send me a star. When it arrived, she had randomly sent me the word “Justice” to be my guiding word this year. I saw a post by another person who had selected “Embrace” as her word for the year, after she first thought about “resilience”. Another posted that “Purpose” was his chosen word.

It’s a pretty good idea to think about what words really guide us through a period of time. As I listen to the news and read the on-line posts of people, I’d say that many people are guided by words such as fear, anger, distrust, woundedness, and resentment. Others exhibit attitudes of prejudice, selfishness, greed, even hatred.

I have tried to reflect honestly about what words accurately describe my views, my actions, my attitudes. Then I try to measure those words against my understanding of how I am to think and act as a follower of Jesus Christ.

In I Corinthians 13, Paul said the lasting words are faith, hope, and love. He agreed with Jesus that right living comes from loving God and loving neighbor as we love ourselves. Other words flow out of love, such as generosity, service, integrity, devotion, awareness. Those words should inform the ways I use my time, my resources, my energy. The more I focus on these words being the motivations of my life, the more I can reflect faith, hope, and love in my relationships and my discipleship walk.

In the past few years, I’ve often remarked that two of the greatest challenges to our faith walk in today’s culture are, first: loving the people who disparage us and act so unloving, and second: not allowing the materialism of our consumer society to control our decision-making about life, values, and generosity,

Let me suggest that instead of making resolutions that are so readily broken, you begin 2026 by considering what words you will choose as your reminders of how you want to live, how you want to grow in faith, and how you want to focus your time, your talents, and your resources.

I’ve decided that “Justice” is an important word for me in the political and social climate of the day. I’m glad Amanda selected it for me as an encouragement and guide for my actions and engagements this year. What are your words for 2026? I hope the ones you select help you follow Jesus more closely this year.

Serving with Christ, serving with you, 

Rev. Dr. David Comperry,
Field Staff Representative