You may or may not be a Star Trek fan or know anything about Captain James T. Kirk, Mr. Spock, or any of the other characters of the renowned science fiction television series. I’m familiar with the series and several films and adaptations because my husband and son are bonified enthusiasts; they are Trekkers.
Naturally, some of that stuff rubbed off on me.
Need I say, to resist is futile.
At one time, I could recite the original show’s opening intro, which Gene Roddenberry, the creator, and producer of Star Trek, wrote.
Space, the final frontier
These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise
Its five-year mission
To explore strange new worlds
To seek out new life
And new civilizations
To boldly go where no man has gone before
For various reasons, America and the world feel sort of trekkish.
There’s no need to check your dictionary. Trekkish isn’t a real word but bear with me.
No, I don’t have plans to board a starship or space aircraft and travel to another planet. SpaceX and Blue Origin’s ticket prices are a universe away from my budget.
Yes, I have a trekkish feeling about America and its mapless unknowns for 2023. Next year, twenty-twenty-three is a place, dimension, or time that no one has ever gone before. I know the same is true for every year.
But 2023’s political, social, health, and earth science challenges will be tough to navigate.
Maybe my trekkish feeling is a side or aftereffect of the upheavals this year. The conspiracy theories, seismic democracy issues, economic instability, warring in Ukraine, here-to-stay coronavirus, and much more are Mount Everest issues.
It appears 2023 will require everyone to be vigilant pursuers of truth and justice for the people, our country, and the earth to make successful ascents and advances.
What about solving some of the earth science problems? I don’t have anything against space exploration, but more exploration into climate change, a worldwide challenge, is worthy of our priority.
Some of us have more experience than others in navigating the forces of racism, injustice, and other social deprivations. I hope the lessons learned in 2022 make us wiser and better able to deal with these issues and tribalism in 2023. It will take all of us to protect America as a beacon of light for the world that many have fought and died to secure.
I believe that a house divided is unable to endure and stand.
When people think of the words, a house divided cannot stand, they automatically think of President Abraham Lincoln. We fail to remember that Jesus spoke these words as recorded in the books of Matthew and Mark.
And believe it or not, these words are true—not because President Lincoln said them. These words are true because God said them.
Yes, we will have many challenges in 2023. Let’s pray for a good and successful voyage for our country in the new year and beyond.
In the familiar words of Captain Kirk or Mr. Spock,
“Engage!”
Have a Happy New Year!
Be well.