Reflecting on 2006



On Sunday morning, I used this montage to help us reflect on the year that had past. I wanted to use well known faces (or people whose images might be less well known, but people would associate with the name) to help us think about the events and changes of the past year.

I thought of people who has passed away this last year - pictures of Coretta Scott King and Steve Irwin were included - to help us think about those who died in the natural course of life, and those who died suddenly.

I used images of UK politicians to reflect on changes in leadership in our nation's political parties, and to help us (although I didn't spell this out) to reflect on changes in our own church leadership team.

An image of George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld was used to help us think about relationships that had broken down, professionally or personally.

Pictures of Saddam Hussein and President Ahmadinejad were included to help us think about situations that concern us.

Andrew Flintoff losing the Ashes helped us to reflect on broken dreams.

Changing faces in the Baptist Union of Great Britain (the top right corner is the new Gen Sec of the BU, Jonathan Edwards and the outgoing Gen Sec, David Coffey, the pic just inset from them is the current BU President, Kate Coleman) were used to reflect changes in our own congregation as we become a more diverse community.

I also used the very challenging image of Israeli children writing messages on bombs that were dropped on Lebanon, to help us reflect on the power and repercussions of our actions. Bono speaking at the Global Economic Forum was included as some progress, slow as it was, continued to be made in the fight against global poverty and AIDS ignorance.

I put in the Time magazine's cover as it had chosen as its person of the year "You", an empowered, media savvy, web-literate, wired society. Apparently we're the ones who make it all happen. When I reflect on the global situation, I really hope people far smarter than me are in charge.

We then read psalm 124 together, as a declaration of thankfulness and praise that we had survived 2006 with all its challenges. The feedback I received was very positive, with people appreciating having something to help them reflect on their own experiences of the last year.

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