For my part, I decided that for each day's theme I would prepare some comment on my Facebook page to share with others, hoping to encourage them to also take up the quest to Light the World with positive acts and messages. Following are all of my entries.
Day 1
For the record, I have never favoured hair-colouring for any purpose other than simply fun. I recognize that for some people, many women in particular, getting gray hair is a tad traumatizing, and they simply feel better when they colour it out. More power to them. I have no objection; I simply don't share that feeling or belief. (I am also not too hip with tattoos, piercings, or cosmetic surgery; I am a bit of body-purist that way. To each his/her own, of course; I recognize that for some the feelings, meanings or needs run deep, and I wouldn't judge that. It's just one of my little quirks.)
This lady has expressed what I feel about myself and others when it comes to aging and all its wrinkles, changes, discolourations and aches. "Every sign of aging that I have is a sign that I'm still alive." It is also a sign that you have lived, that memories have been made, and more are coming. Every day I live, I learn more about my tomorrows than my yesterdays. I also learn that, as I might not have a tomorrow, I should make the most of today.
Her message, of course, goes beyond that. So, enjoy this message, and enjoy your day; love yourself; be proud of every thing that makes you you.
Day 2
Well, what kind of challenge is that? I mean, for the vast majority of us, calling up mom or dad is just the thing we like to do once in a while. Have a chat, speak a kind word, say "I love you."
Of course, the equation changes when your parents have passed away (which is increasingly the case amongst my peers).
My dad is still around, so I can call him. But as most of my friends know, my mom passed on over a year ago. I have to admit, Christmas is a little strange without her. Christmas was always *her* time of year. Not only is her birthday this coming Monday (she was always pleased that she shared her birthday with Walt Disney), but she was also such a hopeful child-at-heart kind of person that the song-and-angel-and-elf-filled magic of Christmas never left her. When we did our tree and stockings and trifle and turkey and sing-alongs as children, it wasn't long before we learned that all of that was largely for her benefit. Christmas would not have been what it was, and is, for us without the sense of pure, magical joy with which she embraced, and shared, it.
Of course, that is not to say our Christmas wasn't also Christ-centred. It certainly was. Setting up the Nativity was number one in our Christmas preparations. We sang His songs, and knew His story. That was key. And, with her support and encouragement, my sister and I would go door to door in our urban, Scarborough environment, singing Christmas carols - mostly the religious ones out of the old time booklet she had - raising money with which my mom - who was struggling herself to give us any of the material trappings of the season - would purchase treats for the children who were stuck in Scarborough General Hospital for the holidays.
So even though I can't call her now, can't visit, can't send her a card, I can remember, and I can honour her memory; I do that, in part, by hoping and helping make sure that my wife (who grew up without a Western style of Christmas) and my children, and now my grandchildren (one of whom bears my mother's middle, and favourite, name), can experience some measure of the magic my mother gave to us.
Day 3
And, here, I expected the recommendations to be about sight as a metaphor for seeing the light of the gospel. Certainly that would be easier than actually helping the sightless. But, unfortunately, no such self-serving recommendations made it to the top of their list.
It's worth checking out the web-page to see the kinds of deed they recommend, including reading for the blind and taking a disability awareness (sensitivity) course. Lots of resources can be found on-line, like this one.
I love the story of #Christ healing the blind man for the doctrine it reveals. It is not just about healing a blind man, but he performs the miracle having been asked whether it was the man or his parents who had sinned, resulting in the blindness which he had from birth. Christ answers that it was neither.
It is human nature to look for causes to blame for negative circumstances in our lives, even those challenges, weaknesses, deficiencies or other distinguishing traits we are born with. But sometimes (most often, perhaps) there is no blame to be had. Some things simply are; and the gift and challenge of life is to move beyond the impulse to lay blame, and look instead to the opportunity to serve. Also, what seems sometimes to be a deficiency is actually a source of strength, a unique gift that can be applied in ways that the "ordinary" abilities or traits that most people share cannot.
Christ's gift in healing the blind man was not just the gift of granting sight to his eyes, but he also lifted from him an unnecessary and erroneous feeling of guilt that was imposed on him by misguided social norms and ignorance.
It might benefit each of us to seek to recognize those assumptions and judgments - prejudices - we have, that we associate with the characteristics or circumstances of our own or others' lives, that need to be set aside in order to see the gifts and opportunities those same traits and trials present.
Day 4
There is no coincidence that the proposed way to follow Jesus Christ on this Sunday is to worship the Father, as he did.
Yesterday, my wife remarked that there is something beautiful about seeing a strong, independent man on his knees before his God. The beauty involves his willing, freely chosen humility in acknowledging that there is something greater than himself, to which he owes honour, reverence and, yes, even obedience.
Whether you attend any church today or have some other way to worship, I encourage you to explore and experience that dimension of your life that requires such humility and dedication, whoever or whatever your god may be. And I would suggest that that god most worthy of it is one that causes you some discomfort about being simply all that you already are, and motivates you to seek a greater good that benefits more than just yourself or your "tribe".
Happy Sabbath Day.
Day 5
Taking part in this theme today was made easy for me, unfortunately. My grand-daughter was throwing up after a banged head and needed to go back to hospital to see whether she's suffering a concussion. Poor kid. I get to serve by watching the twins while Hannah, Miguel and Rachel are at the hospital.
Check out the post for today, and consider what you can do. And hopefully you're not "lucky" like me and will actually have to think about what kind of service you will give.
Day 6
There seem to be many people these days who do not understand the role or nature of the Christian scriptures (a canon that, for Latter-day Saints, includes not only the Old and New Testaments, but The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine & Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price). There seems to be a modern view that because the stories told are, typically, of ancient, or at least older, history, because certain factual statements in them may be dubious (because, granted, the more "scientific" pursuit of history-writing, and historiography, is a relatively new thing), the books are neither relevant nor trust-worthy. Some presume that "old world" rules are out of date, passe and should simply be put aside in favour new conventions and conceptions.
There is nothing new under the sun.
That phrase, by the way, comes from the Bible: the first chapter of Ecclesiastes, verse 9. It also says, "the thing which hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done."
That book is attributed to Solomon, son of David, king of Israel, who reigned around 1000 BC. It's not a new book, but addresses that same delusion that every generation faces: the false belief that its ideas, ways and understanding are new, unique, and surely progressive in comparison with what has gone before. That is the delusion that I believe grips our world today and leads us often to dangerously ignore the stories and wisdom gained in the past.
I read the scriptures daily, and am pleased to attend a church in which attention to the scriptures is constant, committed and thoughtful.
Just as Jesus did, when he declared to an assembly in his hometown one sabbath day, that words Isaiah had penned hundreds of years before he was born applied to him, we seek to apply the scriptures to our day, to (as the prophet Nephi advises in The Book of Mormon) "liken them unto us."
This process requires substantially more than slavish reading or thoughtless interpretation; it takes more than treating the books as static guides to living, but requires reading them prayerfully, seeking today the same Spirit that inspired their composition, and applying their stories and sayings as living guides to understanding, as models and templates for dealing with the world, developing personal and effective spirituality, and, ultimately, obtaining insights and even revelation from God that suit our present circumstances, address our present needs and answer our present concerns.
Please consider this your invitation, over this Christmas season, to begin seeking in the scriptures that something more that makes them relevant to your present day, as Jesus did for himself in his. It will light your world.
Day 7
In addition to the inevitable, "Learn about satisfying spiritual hunger," are the following:
- Donate nonperishable items to a local food bank.
- Invite a neighbor who is on a tight budget to dinner.
- Volunteer to deliver meals to those in need.
- Learn how fasting can help feed those in need.
- Share a low-cost, nutritious recipe with others.
- Pray to know who needs help, and help them.
- Eat out tonight at restaurants that give back through donated food.
And there is likely a multitude of other ways that you can think of, just as there are many kinds of hunger. As we seek to feed those starving for lack of food, there are also those starving for lack of compassion, comfort, safety, and peace. As we seek to give of what we have, even to share some portion with just one other person, we reduce sorrow, suffering, and loneliness.
Today, ironically, rather than giving food, I will be given some by the Islamic Humanitarian Service, as I attend their annual interfaith luncheon as a representative of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where we will pray, speak and commune together on the topic of "Striving for a Just Society". I suppose that doing my part, in part, will need to be, in turn, sharing of the abundance God has given me with someone else in need. I will be praying to know who, and what, that should be.
I'm interested to know whether others are taking up the 25 Day Light-the-World Challenge as well. I'd love to know what you do to respond to today's recommendation.
Day 8
That's the theme on Day 8 of the #LighttheWorld campaign.
I've experienced prayers that have resulted in finding and assisting people in need, locating lost objects, affecting weather, healing the sick, and resolving disputes. I have that sort of personally undeniable anecdotal evidence that prayer has genuine power.
I could use the blessing of others' prayers always. Especially today, while I am battling sickness, but also at any time just to have added strength to be my best self, better each day than the day before. I hope that there are some who do that for me. I hope that I remember to pray more often for those I know who could use the help.
We are counselled to pray for those in need, and also for those who lead. Though I enjoy, as much as anyone might, critiquing and challenge the choices of those who run the country, theirs is an awesome weight for mere mortals to carry, and they (as well as other leaders of all categories) can use the positive influence and direction that well placed prayers can bring them, to make better choices, select the best priorities, and help bring peace rather than conflict, and prosperity rather than loss.
In my experience, I have found the most effective prayers are those that are not merely mouthed expressions, but contain words that reflect the real thoughts and feelings of the individual. The pattern of such prayer is to acknowledge the presence and concern of the deity being addressed; to express gratitude for the gifts, divine and otherwise, that grace each day, or this day in particular; and to state with as much clarity of concept and intention as one can muster, the need or desire one hopes to address. Ideally, you might -- both before and after such a prayer -- take time to listen, to allow the Spirit that infuses faithful prayers to complete the connection between you and God, to help ensure your communion is real, your understanding improved, and the blessings you seek are both truly possible and desirable. Lastly, I state my prayers "in the name of Jesus Christ," because I know that my merits alone are insufficient to move divine powers in my direction, and that I am not "entitled" to "demand" so much as I am encouraged, by him, to ask. God is not a vending machine, and his blessings are not the products of simply stating the proper incantations. God gives grace, which I have sought and discovered through his son, Jesus Christ, which grace allows me to present myself, my thoughts and feelings, my hopes and desires, before him. I believe that kind of humble acknowledgement improves the effectiveness of all prayers, even if we are not quite conscious of the basis on which such graceful condescension is given.
May your #Christmas season be lightened by prayer.
Day 9
"Jesus visited the lonely."
"Pure religion," said the Apostle James, "and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."
In the eyes of the Lord, caring for those who are lonely, who have suffered deep losses in life, is of equal importance as striving to be personally clean from sin. The two together define the whole pith and purpose of religion.
This goes along with St. John's epic statement, "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."
It's not always easy, as we travel through our sometimes busy lives, engaged in this and that, work or school, projects and duties, to keep our eyes and minds on those whose existences are more lonely than ours. Sometimes, those of us blessed with an abundance of familial or other friendly connections, might even wish to be more lonely, without really understanding what that means. Both those sentiments, such as they are, are expressions of the limits of our love.
And then there is that other kind of loneliness; the kind that ignores present friends and family; the kind that your thoughts and circumstances cause you to feel, even though there are others around who might willingly bear your burdens with you. We don't want to be a burden, or we don't believe they could possibly care, or understand, or be able to bear the weight. So we hide our sorrows, struggles, fears, pains, and worries within ourselves and try to soldier on.
For this latter kind, and every other type of loneliness that is unanswered by human hearts and hands, there is, at the very least, one who hears, cares, loves and has all power to understand and to assist. Of him, this medley of two of the most beautiful hymns I know, is a most apt expression:
Where can I turn for peace?
Where is my solace
When other sources cease to make me whole?
When with a wounded heart, anger, or malice,
I draw myself apart,
Searching my soul?
Where, when my aching grows,
Where, when I languish,
Where, in my need to know, where can I run?
Where is the quiet hand to calm my anguish?
Who, who can understand?
He, only One.
Be still, my soul: The Lord is on thy side;
With patience bear thy cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In ev'ry change he faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: Thy best, thy heav'nly Friend
Thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Day 10
There are so many ways that people need one another to accomplish what seem, to many of us, the simplest, most ordinary tasks in life. To walk, to see, to read, to eat, to clean oneself. There are therefore so many ways that we can serve.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has launched a website to help each of us find more opportunities to do whatever good we can. The Just Serve website provides a space where charitable and not-for-profit organizations can post volunteer opportunities. Though only just starting up in Canada, we hope that by early next year it will start to be well populated with local events and programs. If you have a not-for-profit or charitable group, church or other organization that could use volunteers, either one time or from time to time, message me the details and I will get you information on how to get set up.
Day 11
In our scripture readings this week (Marhee and I read a little together each day), we have been reading passages from The Book of Mormon in which the aged prophet Lehi is blessing his children and grandchildren.
He specifically gathers together the sons and daughters of his eldest and most rebellious sons and pronounces a blessing on them, that they might not suffer from the errors of their parents, and that their families, their future children, will ultimately be blessed despite them.
It is almost a trite thought, and yet so profoundly and importantly true, that every child born into the world represents an opportunity for renewal and improvement on whatever, and whoever, has gone before. Ministering to children -- teaching, encouraging, nourishing and nurturing them -- is to teach, encourage, nourish and nurture the future. There is, perhaps, no greater opportunity to influence humanity for the better than to improve the outlook and opportunities of a child.
Here are three for whom I will do my best.
Day 12
This is a more significant fact than we sometimes consider that leads us to deeper thoughts than I can adequately express, though I'll make a small attempt just now.
It's not just that Jesus was a great teacher, a model for teachers today. It's that, of all the modes by which God could have chosen to manifest himself to us, he determined to be a teacher.
He could, instead, have been a tyrant, a warlord or a dictator; but he would rather be a rabbi than a ruler.
Although there are complex moments in sacred history, to be sure, that seem to tell a different tale, the scriptures are replete with reminders of God's essentially kind will toward us, and his fundamental respect for our freedom and our dignity. Though different times have drawn out different traditions, what he seeks for ultimately is "the heart and a willing mind," not fearful followers acting against their true desires.
And in this there is a further lesson to be learned. If this is what God wants, there must be a reason for it. For the same freedom he gives to us to love him willingly or not, is the same freedom that brings unwanted sins, sorrows and tragedies into this world; for which he also weeps; for which he willingly died.
C.S. Lewis comments on this in "The Case for Christianity," where he wrote:
and always.
“God created things which had free will. That means creatures which can go wrong or right. Some people think they can imagine a creature which was free but had no possibility of going wrong, but I can't. If a thing is free to be good it's also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. |
It is because this awesome task of *becoming* rather than merely *doing* or *obeying* is the critical purpose of the Christian religion, that God had to respect our freedom. No being can become like him without being free. And so he chose to come to us as a teacher who invites, encourages and uplifts, rather than as a ruler who enforces and controls. "For ye are not under the law," writes the Apostle Paul, "but under grace."
May the grace of Jesus Christ be yours this Christmas.
Days 13 & 14
The video on the page shows blocks being piled up in order: "God" on the top; "others" in the middle; "me" underneath. I had been taught this long ago using some other words, and a better mnemonic:
Jesus
Others
You
=
Joy
True joy comes from putting God and others ahead of oneself.
This is true, even for the non-religious and non-theistic. And it is not about being weak, simpering, or suffering for its own sake.
"A man's got to have a code, a creed to live by," said the stereotypical man's-man, John Wayne. There is an ordering of the mind and heart that comes from putting first certain values and principles that are greater than one's own self. There is a refinement of character that happens further when one makes one's own interests secondary to needs and legitimate interests of others, even, sometimes, in very small things (like letting someone else get on the bus first, or choose their favourite seat in the theatre, and like waiting till everyone is served before eating). Both of these decisions may involve suffering, but this is a kind of purposeful suffering that is like what steel feels when it is forged and refined: a suffering that makes it brighter, less vulnerable and more valuable. Thus, far from being weak and self-effacing, true humility improves and strengthens the individual who practices it.
* * * * * * * * * *
For today's Light the World entry, the goal is to "clothe the naked." This is relatively self-explanatory.
Physical clothing is important not only for security and comfort (especially in winter), but also self-esteem. Helping those in need have adequate, clean and attractive clothing can protect them from harm and help them to be confident in facing an often unfriendly-seeming world.
We can also clothe people in other ways. We can clothe their faults with our patience, tolerance and forgiveness. We can clothe their sorrows with our comfort. We can find them in their vulnerabilities and offer them the assistance of our strength.
This Christmas, let's find many ways to be as kind, giving and caring as we can, clothing our community in a mantle of charity.
Day 15
Indeed, please come and join us this Sunday night (December 18) at the Kitchener Stake Centre (1250 Strasburg Road) for an evening of Christmas music, Share the Gift.
It's free, and so are the good feelings and fellowship you'll experience.
Yes, I am specifically inviting you Adam, Carrie, Scott, Andrew, Luisa, Chailey, Keaghan, Joey, Lisa, David, Brent, Karen, Michelle, Victor, Carolyn, Mark, Ruby, Drew, Terry, Steven, Rory, Matthew, Matthew, Kate, Josh, Tiffany, Kristin, Shaun, Bardish, Felicia, Michael, Jacob, Graeme, Greg, Otto, Brenda, Harold, Gary, Brian, Steve, Jessica, Craig, Craig, Jeff, Josh, Brad, Jay, Amy and, well, really, just everybody.
In the meantime, here's a simple song I've come to like a lot lately. Not a Christmas song, but connected.
Day 16
At the same time, I also recognize that weakness I have to perceive and feel deep concern about "big" or "newsworthy" troubles and yet possibly be less cognizant or caring of those immediately in my path.
Greater love requires walking in the world not only with an open heart, but also with more open eyes and ears so that those whom the Lord puts in our path to serve are not so easily overlooked. That, I think, should be at least part of my #LighttheWorld commitment today.
Today's theme is that Jesus showed compassion. I love the word, "compassion."
Taking the Latin roots literally, it means, essentially, "to suffer with". Of course, "suffer" in this respect can mean what we usually mean - pain and sorrow - but it can also mean such things as "acceptance" or "endurance", as in "suffer the children, to come unto me."
There is a bit more to explore here. A "passion" is something we simply feel, something that grips us and over which we have little control. We don't "do" passion; we just experience it. Passion is the direct opposite of action. But when we add "com" - with - onto the front of it, we impose choice and action on passion; we make deliberate what otherwise simply "is".
Compassion, then, includes the idea of being purposefully subject to one's feelings.
The "purposeful" element is crucial, since compassion is thereby distinct from being passionate - the condition of being subject to strong feelings. Compassion imposes reason and consideration on the condition of having deep feelings.
In this regard, a phrase in The Book of Mormon is interesting. In Alma 38:12, the prophet Alma (in about 74 BC) instructs his adult son who is embarking in ministry: "bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love." (https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/38.12?lang=eng#11)
The imagery of our passions being like a horse signifies their great strength, which, if we ride them unbridled, will carry us wherever they want, including into danger and likely injury. But the imagery of the bridle is sometimes misunderstood, and well-meaning teachers will erroneously advise that the scripture means we must hold our passions back; but that is not the true role of a bridle, nor the path to being filled with love.
The primary role of a bridle is not to halt, but to direct the horse, to ensure that it takes the rider to a desired destination. Likewise, bridled with reason, perception and understanding, our passions may be directed so that they will do us and others good rather than injury. Because unbridled passion essentially overwhelms good sense, refined feelings, such as love, cannot be developed; just as a wild, unbridled horse will never get you to your destination. (Yes, there is an obvious, and correct, practical lesson here about romance, which undergirds the principle of chastity; but that is not its sole application.)
Properly outfitted, the bridle may also have blinkers that help the horse remain undistracted - i.e., we need to give our passions focus - and it may have other features, such as bit guards, that protect the horse from harm that the bridle might cause. Likewise, the purpose of bridling our passions is not to demean or to damage them, but to embrace their power and direct them for good.
The other principle that the image teaches is that our passions are no more our enemy than the horse is enemy to the rider. Rather, we are a team. The bridle itself is crucial to creating that team, permitting communication between rider and horse or, in non-metaphorical terms, between mind and heart. Bridling the amazing strength of the horse allows the rider to accomplish more than his mere intellect could do; and the horse is also benefitted by having its dangerous wildness being constrained, thus preventing its own injury or becoming lost.
Sometimes welling up with tears or otherwise being moved by emotion, such as when learning of or witnessing others' tragedies or triumphs, is thought to be a cause for embarrassment; but, to me, it is a reminder of my humanity, and of my shared cause with all other people. My passions ground me, and grant me power to act that I might not otherwise have, and I am grateful for them.
Embracing those feelings that compel us, and directing them toward good ends - acting *with* them - is, to me, part of both the pinnacle and substance of being human, and is where our greatest powers lie.
Day 17
Today's #LighttheWorld is a reminder to care for our mothers. I once warned my son that the way he would treat his mother would be indicative of the way he would treat other women. I still think that is generally true. Mother is one's first love. Barring the unusual, that love is one most of us retain throughout our lives, and becomes a model for other loves; yet, as enduring as it is, neither the length nor breadth of a child's love for his or her mother ever measures up completely to the love the mother herself has for that baby, no matter how old he or she has become. So I echo the recommendation last given on the Light the World website: "Seriously, call your mother." |
Day 18
Like many Christians, I will be attending church today. That's a way of centering my week, and my weak heart and will, to seek to put God in the middle of my life, my intentions and my actions.
The Sabbath Day has been an important practice in my religious life for over 34 years. Even when I travel, I plan my schedule around being able to attend church, if at all possible (and it virtually always is possible), and avoid other activities on that day that distract from His Spirit.
My observance isn't perfect. But it's not about perfect observance. The Sabbath was made for man; not man for the Sabbath. What it's about is helping to set the tone for the rest of the week.
Neither (as that last comment suggests) is it the sole day each week for worship, prayer, thanksgiving or attention to His will. Everyday has a Sabbath quality to it, when I walk with Him, both in terms of focus, and peace. Observing the Sabbath Day thoughtfully and intentionally helps ensure that during the balance of the week I do not forget Him whose grace makes each day a blessing.
It is a comfort to draw near to God, especially when we do it in the way that He has asked and established. If you haven't made room for Him in your life yet, today is not only as good a day as any; it is the right day. Visit the church of your choice (come visit mine if you haven't another to attend), or just find quiet space and time to specially seek His presence. He's waiting and willing to be found by you.
Day 19
That's today's theme in the LDS Church's #LighttheWorld campaign, inspiring us to celebrate Christmas by having experiences every day (and everyday experiences) in following Christ.
In keeping with that theme, this post is for those who are troubled today, whose lives seem out of balance, whose hearts are burdened, and whose worries seem to exceed their hopes. But this is not a message of complex psychology or any magic tricks. It is delivered, ultimately, in three words: peace, be still.
For me, Christ's gift of calming the storm has been both metaphorical and literal. I have been blessed to have that experience of the weather itself being moved in response to earnest prayers. I have also experienced even more miraculous moments, when tumultuous emotions, stresses and worries have been smoothed, eased and comforted by the direct intervention of God's holy spirit.
When Jesus calmed the storm, it was done with that simple, confident declaration, "peace, be still." In the delightful little song, "Today" (which I have shared a couple of times, but here it is again, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gwaIr46ea0) by NewWorldSon, the singer reaches the point where delivering his day to God's care can include simply spending the hours "just being still, and knowing you are God."
This is not a fantasy or a wishful thought; nor is the experience of sacred stillness, of holy presence, of divine calm, reserved for only the most religious or mystical. There are no ritual prayers required. Monastic seclusion or Zen training are not needed.
When King David accepted the Lord's decision that he would not be entitled to build a temple due to the blood on his hands, but that the privilege would be reserved for his son, Solomon, David accepted the Lord's determination gracefully, and then counselled his son with these words, "...Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee." (1 Chron. 28:9)
David had learned through his tumultuous life, that the peace of God is not obtained through technical, religious observance, nor even in acts or songs of praise (of which David composed and sang many), but through improving the quality and character of the heart, and opening the mind.
Anyone can do this.
So, to those troubled, worried and weary today, I offer these thoughts and suggestions: God lives. He loves you. He knows your needs. Take a moment to let those thoughts rest on your mind, and place the burdens of your heart on His shoulders. Troubles do not, of course, solve themselves; but with God as your partner, miraculous changes can happen, pathways can open, and avenues of assistance can be found; and, at the very least, you can have the peace of knowing that, in His hands, nothing can be other than it was always meant to be.
Day 20
Today's #LighttheWorld entry is, to be honest, difficult to compose.
The theme is seeing the potential in others. Faced with man's inhumanity to man, faced with a world that seems to have passed the brink of destruction, it is easy to consider this whole program as trite, tired and pointless.
But it's not. The fact is that while we live and breathe and can carry out our lives in relative freedom and security, we have an obligation to go on. If all we can do is be the one safe place there is in the world; if all we can be is the one stable, trustworthy influence: we need to do it.
Jesus saw a world that was, in some ways, worse than ours. Less freedom, less equality, less hope for individual advancement and expression, and, maybe, more torture, depravity, dictatorship, and death. Whether his world was, in fact, worse than ours on a measure-for-measure basis, the fact is that his world was at least as brutal, at least as vicious, and lacked many of the comforts and conveniences that help compensate for hardships in our day and age.
And yet, he loved the people of his time, just as we believe he loves us today; and, by all reports, he saw potential enough in the ragged, violent mob of humanity that ultimately hung him on a cross to die, to dedicate his life, both in mortality and eternity, to their betterment, well-being and eternal joy. "This day," he said to the thief who hung by his side, "shalt thou be with me in paradise."
"We should develop the capacity to see men not as they are but as they can become," said Thomas S. Monson, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
If there is any message to be gained from faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, it is the utter redeemability of people; that neither sin nor error, nor atrocity, tragedy, or loss, define us; that periods of weakness and error do not dictate our character or accomplishments forever. There is the potential for each man and woman to rise up not only to his or her own measure, but to overcome the status and circumstances of his or her world and obtain the standard of divinity, even while walking through this veil of tears and in the shadow of the valley of death.
Day 21
It would be more difficult to measure the important effect those acts of forgiveness have had on my life. I am certain I would be nowhere without them.
Thank you.
#LighttheWorld Day 21
Day 22, 23 & 24
So three themes have gone by:
- Gratitude (https://www.mormon.org/…/in-25-ways-…/jesus-showed-gratitude)
- Being a Peacemaker (https://www.mormon.org/…/in-25-ways-…/jesus-was-a-peacemaker)
- Care for loved ones (https://www.mormon.org/…/in-…/jesus-cared-for-his-loved-ones)
Thankfully, I think that I have accidentally expressed each of these in some ways over the past few days; and, frankly, they all fit very neatly together. But I will comment on the foundation here: gratitude.
Gratitude is, unsuprisingly, related to the word "grace". Has that ever occurred to you? Not only does it suggest that our feelings of thankfulness should not be giddy, but humbly calm, truly absorbing the goodness in the thing we feel thankful for, but it also suggests something about God.
We (Christians, in particular) speak a lot about the grace of God. We rely on that grace to get by, day-to-day, trusting that despite our sins and weaknesses, He continues to call us toward His love. But where does that grace come from? What does it mean?
I suspect that one aspect of God's grace is that it is an expression of His appreciation for us, His thankfulness, or gratitude, for us. Just as a loving parent appreciates the child that fills his or her life, and can be struck by awe and wonder at the mystery of it, God, I am sure, does not wonder wherefor or why, but delights in the astonishing miracle of our being. And all the more is His grace both effulgent and effective for us when we respond to Him in kind.
I pray that each of you will have a grace-filled holiday season, whether specifically celebrating Christmas or not. May this occasion when we remember the gift of Christ's life, remind you of the wonderful grace that causes and subsides in your own; may you find joy and peace in the presence of loved ones, and may the Spirit of our Heavenly Father fill your homes.
God bless, and Merry Christmas.
Day 25
Following Jesus Christ is not as easy as simply calling oneself a Christian and attending Church from time to time.
It is not as ritualized as merely being baptized and participating in other sacraments and holy ordinances.
It is not a guarantee of happiness in every instance, or success in every endeavour. It is not always like Christmas morning.
It is a guarantee of grace, kindness and mercy from above.
It is a promise that whatever sorrows we may wade through in this life, we will never walk alone.
It is a confirmation of God's good will toward us, eternally, and a promise, on our part, to respond in kind, by seeking to share goodness, as and when and with whom we can.
Sometimes it is complex, and involves self-criticism and repentance. Sometimes there will be tears, and certainly many regrets. Of necessity, there will be changes. The standard of Christ's perfection is a high and difficult one to follow. If taken seriously (as in, not taking on his name in vain) it challenges each disciple to the core and converts his or her very nature and the dictates of his or her own will.
Seeking to follow Jesus Christ is one of the three most important decisions I have ever made. (The others are marriage and becoming a father.) Though I am often neglectful, selfish, proud and distant, Jesus is my friend, and I am deeply grateful for his presence in my life.
I wish I could cause you to feel what I have felt, see what I have seen, and know what I have known; but all I can do is invite you to consider his promises and the reality of them, to be willing to take the chance and the challenge that his gospel offers, to obtain all the gifts he brings.
This Christmas, and in this coming year, I resolve to follow him more fully. I am not sure I can even begin to comprehend all the changes, great and small, that requires of me; but as I perceive them, I will pursue them, and rely upon his grace to assist me, and to help me discover the rest.
God bless you all with a joyous Christmas day and a wonderful New Year.