As we enter 2009, the general mood seems to be somber. The economy, both here and abroad, is in recession, the terrorist attacks in Mumbai have brought India and Pakistan to the brink of conflict, hopes for peace in the Middle East grow dimmer, millions of people around the globe continue to die from starvation and disease needlessly. I think that it’s fair to say that the world enters 2009 in a mess.

It is traditional to greet the New Year with resolutions. For most of us these are to lose weight, stop smoking, save a little money. Usually we give up on them after a few weeks. But this year, instead of making resolutions I know I won’t keep, I want to do something a bit different. I want to make statements of hope, not for me alone but for the world.

I know that we live in a cynical society. Expressions of hope are often greeted with ridicule. I’m sure there will be those who take my expressions of hope for the world that way, but that’s all right. I don’t want to be cynical. I don’t even mind if I sound naive and corny. Maybe the world needs more of us to be that way. I don’t think cynicism is going to make things better. So here are my hopes for 2009.

First, I hope that we can find a way to stop hating each other over religion. Belief in God should bring people together, not into battle. I simply find it impossible to accept that God wants us to hate and kill each other because we don’t agree on details of ritual or theology.

It seems as though every side in every battle thinks that God is with them. I think they’re right, but I don’t think that means that God wants one side to lose and one to win, for both sides to kill and maim the other. I’m neither theologian nor cleric, but I just hope that instead of slaughtering each other in God’s name we can start helping each other.

Second, I hope that all of us think about what we actually “need” in the way of material things and look at other people’s needs. When life gets difficult for some people, that means having to take a less expensive vacation or wait a little longer to buy a new car. For others it means not having enough to eat or feed their children. It can mean not having a place to live or the medication necessary to stay healthy.

Many of us in the United States have become used to living far beyond our economic means and many of us have come to think that we cannot live unless we have the latest gadget or an expensive winter break. We need to redefine what we mean by “need,” to rethink what we mean when we speak of happiness. There used to be a popular bumper sticker that read “the one with the most toys when he dies wins.” That’s wrong. The one who helps the most people during his life is the real winner. When real need is greatest, that’s when we must help each other.

There is only one way that the world will get to be a better place. That requires each of us to be better people. By better I don’t mean richer or thinner or more successful. What I mean by better is that each of us needs to be more concerned about each other, more willing to do with less so that others have more, more willing to talk and compromise than fight and kill.

We need to realize that what we really need is each other, that when a child dies needlessly of starvation or disease, we have failed. We need, indeed, to be each other’s keepers. It’ll be hard but if each one of us can share this hope, we can make it reality.

May you all have a wonderful new year. May it bring peace and contentment to us all.