As 2011 winds to a close, I'm a little amazed at all that's happened within just this one circuit around the sun, things like the Arab spring, the deaths of bin Laden and Kaddafi, and the Japanese tsunami. And also the Occupy Wall Street movement, Gabrielle Gifford's amazing survival and healing, and the discovery of another earthlike planet somewhere in a galaxy far, far away.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about this past year is that so many events have had such a great impact far beyond their origin. Twitter and Facebook have shown us the power of networking. In sometimes astonishing ways they've also shown us how interconnected we are with everyone and everything in our world, and enabled us to respond in peaceful ways alongside others who share our deepest longings. 2011 was a year when massive numbers of people non-violently turned out around the world for the human rights of other people, and also our beloved planet.

At times these big events can be shocking and overwhelming. Last winter's tsunami moved the islands of Japan seven inches and even managed to alter the rotation of the earth for a billionth of a second. At other times, when I see things like the use of weapons by the state on peaceful protestors, I'm deeply frightened. But when I keep moving through my fear, I find myself in a place of hope. For it seems that no matter what happens, here we still are with the power to think, create, connect, and love. No matter how narrow the margins, we each have the power to make choices that really matter, sometimes ultimately.

And so I find myself feeling very hopeful in these short days as the earth's northern hemisphere leans backward as far as it can into darkness. And I'm reminded that as our planet rocks in its annual dance around the sun, the deep, fertile darkness is a place of germination and incredible potential.

And so my wish for you, my hope for us all, is that the blessings of love and peace are with you in this season of darkness, and that your faith filled choices give rise to life giving possibilities in the days that are yet to be.

Blessings, Deborah