Happy New Year’s to all of you who take the time to read my posts from time to time or visit my website. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to engage in this ministry of creativity and sharing of the good news of God’s love and presence in our lives. I hope and pray that something I create helps bring you just a little closer to this truth.
As we conclude 2024 and look forward to the coming New Year, I am praying for more peace in the world, in our nation and in our communities. St. Teresa of Calcutta once said, “Today, if we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” This year, amidst whatever disunity, fear and confusion enters our lives, let’s all remember to live our lives high on the mountain of God’s love and hope for the world. Let’s remember that, in the end, we all belong to one another, whether we agree with one another or not.
Over the past few weeks, my musical collaborators and I composed and recorded “New Lang Syne,” a song of hope and peace for the New Year. It’s a new take on “Old Lang Syne,” with new lyrics and music by me and my friends John Caravelli and Phil Cooper. The lyrics are below and a music video is available at the link below.
See you in 2025.
Steve
New Lang Syne
Traditional, with new words and music by John Caravelli,
Phil Cooper and Steve Givens
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.
Should old, dear friends escape our thoughts
and memories fade from our minds
Should all our early days be dimmed
And our pasts be left behind.
For all those days now gone, my friend,
For all those days now gone,
Let’s raise a glass to kindness still
For the sake of days now gone.
And when our hope begins to fade
And if our faith is stilled.
Let’s find that kindness deep within
And share it with the world.
For anger never serves us well
And hate divides our souls
And war, it never ends all wars
But leaves us weaker still.
If all the lives around us
are not seen in God’s own light
We cast such shadows at the risk
thinking we alone are right.
Our freedom lives in loving those
Who we have never known.
And peace lives deeply in our hearts
When it is not ours alone.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.