Newer. world.
The lights begin to twinkle from the rocks:
The day wanes: the slow moon climbs: the deep
Moans round with many voices. Come, my friends,
‘Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
It may be that the gulfs will wash us down:
It may be we shall the touch the Happy Isles,
And see the great Achilles, whom we knew.
Tho’ much is taken, much abides; and tho’
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.
~ Excerpted from Ulysses, by Alfred Lord Tennyson
new years, 3
If you didn’t read the excerpt above, please go back and let your heart feel the impact of these words attributed to the venturing soldier in Homer’s classic The Odyssey, which I explored in depth two years ago in this series. Odysseus (later known by the Latinized name Ulysses) had more than his share of catastrophes, but as I read the speech above, something deep stirs. Something we might call Transcendent Hope.
Our word hope does not itself do this sensation justice; in common usage, it feels a little too soft and tepid. More of a wish than a resolve. Yet hope goes beyond the virtue of resolve by blending it with optimism and anticipation. Do you sense any of these feelings as you contemplate the invitation to incarnation?
In the poetic words above, there is the necessary acknowledgement of the loss of strength and innocence. But this acknowledgement does not yield to the temptation of inertia—perhaps our greatest threat as we enter a new season of life in 2026. Inertia was defined by Newton thus: objects in motion will stay in motion and objects at rest will stay at rest, unless a force causes its velocity to change. Spiritual and emotional inertia keep us trapped in the familiarity of the status quo, resistant to new learning, new possibilities, and new choices.
Ever felt shackled by inertia? Boy I have!
Against the devil of inertia, Transcendent Hope says, Come, my friends, ‘Tis not too late to seek a newer world! “Incarnatio” is the call to become the change we want to see in the world, to echo Gandhi’s inspired line. The call to be transformed, the call to unleash “the kingdom of God within you” (Lk 17:21).
Last week we looked at the manifestations of affection, exuberance, and serenity; today we continue that quest by looking at a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people (Gal 5:22 msg).
Are you resolved to stick with the activities to which you have been divinely assigned, even in the face of difficulty or failure?
Are you resolved to loose the constraints upon your native compassion and empathy so that you can use your strength in service of the weak?
Are you resolved to look past what is broken in things and people in order to recognize and call forth their underlying holiness?
When you and I incarnate these divine qualities, we heave off the moorings of inertia and raise sail for the “newer world” of God’s kingdom on earth. We don’t just talk about God’s world, we embody it. Imperfectly but compellingly. Are you in?
growing your soul
Choose again: Of the qualities of stick-to-it-ive-ness, compassion, and spiritual recognition, which is most needed in you today?
serving our world
Choose one concrete action to put that quality in motion where it’s needed now.
takeaway
Set sail.