Exactly a year ago, some were saying 2020 would be “the year of 2020 vision.”

Well with the end of 2020 almost here, it’s clear we got much more than what we bargained for.

In this final post of 2020, I share 20 things that became more clear this year (in no particular order):

1. “Normal” Is Beautiful

After the initial excitement of embarking on a new decade on New Year’s Eve 2019, life eventually returned to the routine of the daily grind. This would be a routine many of us would miss, and won’t take for granted once it returns. Routine and mundanity are gifts.

2. Today’s Lived Experience Is More Global Than Ever

A computer virus can travel across the planet, and so can a biological one. What was read about Wuhan, China in late 2019, became a reality for the entire world in early 2020. The news may travel faster through our global, digitized world, but the virus eventually caught up.

3. Control Is An Illusion. Disruption Is Reality

Interruption. Postponement. Cancelation. These external realities are often greater than our ability to control life to be as we would want. This year did not reveal, as much as it amplified, this reality. As Barbara Brown Taylor said, “We do not lose control of our lives. What we lose is the illusion that we were ever in control in the first place.”

4. Humans Are Relational Creatures

This year demonstrated the difference between “physical distancing” and “social distancing” and our inability to do the latter. We are wired for human connection. Even the optimistic introvert who loved the idea of staying at home and binging Netflix in late March would agree with this. 

5. Home Is A Microcosm Of Our Ways

The way we live and operate at home reveals the lifestyle path we’re really on. With stay-at-home orders, how we treated our family members, roommates, or the way we adjusted our schedule (or didn’t), or lack of discipline shined a mirror at our character and journey. How we live with those we live with, is how we’ve chosen to live. 

6. Digital Technology Can Fill The Gaps

We saw the power of digital technology as board meetings and classroom lectures were carried out through Zoom. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey told his employees to work from home permanently. The promises of digital technology to make life more elastic and durable came to extra fruition in many ways.   

7. Digital Technology Cannot Fill Every Gap

As useful as digital technology was, people were also “Zoomed out,” unable to keep up with online church, in need of person-to-person human interaction. There is something in the human make-up that craves embodied relationships and in-person experiences. We cannot shake this design. 

8. Multiple Things Can Be True At The Same Time

This year demonstrated the complexity of life. While it feels easier to place things into convenient boxes of “either/or” much of life is “both/and.” One example of this was the prioritization of public health and the simultaneous importance of the economy. Binaries work great sometimes (especially as mic drops), but they are not always helpful. 

9. Lack of Information Isn’t the Problem

We were told knowledge is power. And yet, while our society has more information than we’ve ever needed, it has not made us healthier, happier, or more unified. We need more than mere information, we need wisdom - an applied knowledge that produces skillful living.

10. Your Newsfeed Is Not My Newsfeed

Documentaries like “The Social Dilemma” shed light on the divisive effects of social media. Outrage continues to spew on social media as the rage of “us and them” only grows. From politics, social issues, to views on the virus, we all live in an echo chamber of our own choosing. 

11. Postmodernism Has Failed Our Culture

While our culture has said truth is relative, it has also made our responses to differing opinions absolute. While our culture desires the inclusiveness of many ideas, it cannot hold multiple ideas in tension. “My truth” has instead created an unlivable world of legalism and conspiracy.

12. Crisis Can Be A Gift

While no one should ever wish for a crisis, it has proven to be an accelerant, revealer, and presenter of opportunities. Crisis has accelerated that which would’ve already taken place, revealed the values of organizations and families with utmost clarity, and presented opportunities that would’ve never come to pass otherwise. 

13. The Church’s Great Temptation Is Still Syncretism

The great temptation of the church has never been to outrightly reject Jesus, but to dilute Jesus with something else. This was true of the early church with Gnosticism (Colossians) and Judaism (Galatians), and it is true of the church with politics today. The gospel must always be Jesus alone. 

14. The Church Of God Is Resilient 

Despite the many challenges, the church of God continued to be the people of God. From pivoting to online services, to outdoor gatherings of various kinds, God’s church continued to march forward. In some cases, churches used this season of constraint to birth new strategies to advance the gospel in their communities.

15. The Gathered Church Is God’s Design

According to a Gallup poll on mental health, the only group of people to have higher mental health this year as opposed to last year were those who frequently attended church. God’s design for “going to church” is more than formalism or legalism, but rooted in God’s understanding of the human design. 

16. The Race Conversation Is Here To Stay 

This year showed us that the conversation on race is beyond political lines. People are asking deeper questions about culture, humanity, and history. Even the church at large, more than any other year, has joined in on the conversation. There is much to process in terms of how this impacts discipleship, particularly for Gen Z.

17. Family Is A Gift 

With stay-at-home orders, many spent every waking moment with their families. This created a path for overdue conversations and precious memories. While every family has its set of flaws and imperfections, this year reminded some that it is precisely those things that make a family, family.

18. First Responders, Health Care Workers, And Educators Are Heroes

We knew they were heroes, but the pandemic has demonstrated how much we rely on their valiant efforts and how much they sacrifice for the welfare of society. From doctors who work tirelessly in the midst of a surge to educators who are zoom teaching, we are indebted to their courageous efforts. 

19. Death and Life Are Often Side-By-Side

It’s a temptation to drive a narrative towards the horrors of death or the power of life, but these realities often lay close together. This year gave witness to the death toll of the virus, tragic deaths of high profile individuals, and yet the birth of new life and opportunities (i.e. vaccine). I personally witnessed the birth of another child this year.

20. God Is In Control 

Theologian R.C Sproul once said, “There is not one piece of cosmic dust that is outside the scope of God’s sovereign providence.” The same is true of viruses, political outcomes, and our very salvation. No matter how challenging the times, God is sovereign, and in control. This is great news!

Conclusion

It’s safe to say, I’m glad 2020 will be coming to a close. At the same time, there are so many things I am thankful for.

It’s my hope that we step forward into the new year with the learnings we’ve gained from this year. Let’s not waste the clarity we’ve gained from 2020. The Lord has reminded and taught us too much.