Will the 2015 global identity crisis continue to inspire our better nature into 2016, and beyond?

It's clear that we're relishing being part of this new kind of economy. The popularity of Ebay has shown how honesty and openness can build a strong digital community of trust. Uber and Airbnb have followed suit - taking the concept of "a community of trust" into the fields of cab rides and holiday accommodation. And nearly two-thirdsof such businesses say peer regulation works better than government regulation.

This, too, boils down to a question of identity. On the one hand, the key to building that trust is very practical, according to a PricewaterhouseCoopers survey, namely to authenticate the identity of both users and providers. On the other hand, the user - whether the client or the provider - needs to nurture the honesty, integrity and dependability that make his or her identity trustworthy.

"Face with tears of joy" emoji

Maybe some of you have been instrumental in the choice of this unusual "Word of the Year" without even realising that the joyful Internet emoji you used - with tears streaming down its cheeks - was called by this name. If so, then you've probably joined me in shedding happy tears on hearing reports such as the rescueof a teenager from under a collapsed building days after an earthquake in India or maybe news closer to home, from family or friends.

This year, there's also been a plethora of negative news items. But perhaps the significantly increased usage and selectionof "face with tears of joy" emoji suggests another story was being told away from the nightly news.

On social media, this emoji might occasionally be added to news of the latest gossip, a new outfit, or extra money in the bank. More often, though, I've seen it associated with more substantial things like the latest good-news post from a friend on Facebook ... a hard-fought achievement celebrated … or an unfair law overturned.

And it can go even deeper than that, of course. What brings me the most joy is gaining what I would call a different, "divinely scientific", perspective on life from spiritual insights about the nature of an all-loving God and man's innate goodness as His likeness. These insights about true identity, I have found, can heal me.

May our 2016 be filled with just such reasons to shed tears of joy and with an ever-deepening sense of the precious divine identity of ourselves and all our neighbours, whatever their race, culture, sex or sexuality.