Our wish for 2026: it's time to think about the human family

When we turn the calendar from one year to the next, we often make our wishes for the new year. At that moment, we idealize in our minds everything we dream of for the period. These can be many things, such as a professional change that will bring us greater earnings, the acquisition of an asset or the realization of a dream trip, among others.

Of course, there are also those who firmly believe that their health will improve and those who wish to win the love of their life. In short, there are many thoughts and wishes. Generally, all of them, with rare exceptions, are made individually or with priority for our family group. But isn't it also important to wish and think something for the world, for the community? To do this, we need to know exactly what we want for our world. Before that, it's important to answer another question: how is it today?

The year-end message from the United Nations (UN), signed by Secretary-General António Guterres, gives us a way forward: “As we enter the new year, the world stands at a crossroads. Chaos and uncertainty surround us. Division, violence, climate breakdown and systemic violations of international law. A retreat from the very principles that unite us as a human family. People everywhere are asking: are leaders even listening? Are they ready to act? As we turn the page on a turbulent year, one fact speaks louder than words. Global military spending has skyrocketed to US$ 2.7 trillion, growing by almost 10%. This represents 13 times more than all development aid, equivalent to the entire gross domestic product of Africa. All this while conflicts rage at levels not seen since the Second World War. This New Year, let's commit to getting our priorities right. A safer world begins by investing more in fighting poverty and less in fighting war. Peace must prevail. It is clear that the world has the resources to uplift lives, heal the planet and ensure a future of peace and justice. In 2026, I call on leaders everywhere: take this seriously. Choose people and planet over pain. And I ask everyone who hears this message: do your part. Our future depends on our collective courage to act. This New Year, let's stand up together for justice, for humanity, for peace.”.

The situation presented by Guterres is striking and certainly calls for reflection. The new year must be accompanied by new habits and new searches. When we understand what the Secretary-General is asking for, when he says: “A retreat from the very principles that unite us as a human family”, it is worth thinking about what we really understand and do for it, even if only in the field of ideas.

What do we wish for humanity at the turn of the year? And what will we do for humanity in 2026? This call from the UN reminds us that a long time ago, in 1943, when the work Our Home, According to the book, by André Luiz, psychographed by Chico Xavier, the disincarnate doctor was already warning us about the need to change our selfish way of living. He reports that part of his suffering stems from a self-absorbed existence, in which searches, desires and accomplishments only served his personal individuality or his family group.

In a sincere confession, he tells us: “The son of perhaps excessively generous parents, I had earned my university degrees without any major sacrifice, I had shared the vices of the youth of my time, I had organized the home, I had children, I had pursued stable situations that would guarantee the economic tranquility of my family group, but, examining myself closely, something made me experience the notion of lost time, with the silent accusation of conscience. He had inhabited the Earth, enjoyed its goods, reaped the blessings of life, but had not repaid a penny of the enormous debt.I'd had parents whose generosity and sacrifices for me I'd never appreciated; a wife and children I'd fiercely trapped in the rigid webs of destructive selfishness. I had a home that I closed to all those who walked through the desert of anguish. I delighted in the joy of the family, forgetting to extend this divine blessing to the immense human family, deaf to the small duties of fraternity”.

With the material advances of recent decades, the increase in population and the worsening climate conditions, everything has taken on much greater proportions. That's why the Secretary-General's call is so emphatic: the time to do something is now, because we are living through a period of worsening conditions in many areas. So our invitation to you, the reader, for 2026, is to put effective concern for the human family in your wishes, thoughts, dreams and, above all, in your prayers. Try to think about and do something for the community. Pray. Pray daily for peace in the world.

This coming year, the Spirit Sheet will also do their part. Every month, we'll share stories and examples of people who are carrying out actions that prioritize the well-being and peace of the great human family.

Come with us!