Are you looking for some uplifting holiday music for Rosh Hashanah? You may really enjoy this music video by Six13, “Starting Over (a song for Rosh Hashanah)”. If you are not familiar with Rosh Hashanah, it is when Jewish people celebrate the new year in the Jewish calendar. It is both a happy time and a serious time. While people celebrate the new year and eat special foods that frequently feature honey in hopes for sweet things to happen in the new year they are also encouraged to engage in serious reflection on how they have spent their lives (“Rosh Hashanah 101… My Jewish Learning).
It is important not to allow the happiness of today blind us to the bitterness that comes from mistakes. because ignoring the bitter truths of how bad things have been and can actually prevent the sweetness of the future from happening. Honest reflection is part of how we ensure that we won’t fall into the same mistakes and poor habits that cause pain so we can have more sweetness in the long run.
That is why Paul said, “If I caused you pain by my letter, I do not regret it. Even if I did regret it before — for I do see that that letter did distress you, though only for a short time — now I rejoice not because you were pained, but because the pain led you to turn back to God. For you handled the pain in God’s way, so that you were not harmed by us at all. Pain handled in God’s way produces a turning from sin to God which leads to salvation, and there is nothing to regret in that! But pain handled in the world’s way produces only death.” 2 Corinthians 7:8-10
We should be reflective but at the same time, we should be careful that we don’t allow honest reflection to turn into discouragement, which doesn’t lead to repentance but compliancy. Sometimes we regret how things have turned out, but thankfully we have a merciful Creator who will offer us forgiveness. “For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.” 1 John 3:20 “In your distress, when all these things have come upon you, in the acharit-hayamim, you will return to Adonai your God and listen to what he says; 31 for Adonai your God is a merciful God. He will not fail you, destroy you, or forget the covenant with your ancestors which he swore to them.” Deuteronomy 4:30-31
