January is traditionally the time to take stock of where we’ve been and where we’re going. The month, we are told, is named after Janus, the Roman god with two faces looking in opposite directions—-one toward the past, one toward the future.
This is prime time for leaders. As Max Depree wrote in Leadership Is an Art, “The first task of a leader is to define reality.” And there’s no time like January to define from whence we’ve come and which direction we’re heading.
The beginning of a new year is also the time to make resolutions. The word “resolution” also has two connotations-—one points to the past and the resolving of old problems, the other looks to the future with new resolve to improve some aspect of life.
With this in mind, I was interested in the statistics compiled by Associate Press writer John Jurgensen this past week. They certainly help define reality and where we are as people on Planet Earth in 2002.
These numbers give us a glimpse of our world. Amid these grim statistics, it’s easy to be fearful and anxious, but they also bring to mind the words of Jesus: “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. You must be on your guard … All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Mark 13: 7-13).
Two other statistics also caught my eye in the AP list:
| Estimated number of distinct religions: | 10,000 |
| Denominations within Christianity alone: | 33,830 |
Many people look at those numbers and are tempted to say, “All religions are the same. It doesn’t matter what you believe. I’m a spiritual person, but I’m not going to practice any specific religion.” Amid that muddy thinking, George Santayana’s clear-eyed observation provides an antidote: “To attempt to be religious without practicing a specific religion is as possible as attempting to speak without a specific language.”
Whichever way you’re facing—past or future—may God grant you wisdom and power in leading people to Jesus in 2002.
—Marshall Shelley is editor of Leadership. To reply, write to Newsletter@LeadershipJournal.net.
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