"Freely ye have received, freely give." Matthew 10:8
The message of #Christianity is not that everyone is good, that there is no sin, or that all will achieve or obtain all that they desire in this life or the next.
It is more to the point, from a Christian perspective, that all people are flawed, and some are evil; that each of us, at times, sins, which is to act contrary to the will of God (or, in other words, in a manner that is not consistent with eternal and infinite love and good will); and that all of us will suffer some failure, some trials, and will ultimately fall short of our potential and of the destiny that ultimately attracts us.
It is for this reason – this rather unhappy view of the nature, natural life and outcome of humanity – that God’s Son was sent among us, not only to enlighten and to guide, but to shield and save, so that despite our flaws and suffering, we can enjoy hope, looking forward to a way that goes both through and above the darkness that afflicts us here, toward the glorious light of God’s presence, and even to experience it at times, if our hearts will open to it, here.
It was a gift, freely given to us through the sacrifice that #Christ suffered.
In response to today's "Light the World" challenge, to give, I will find one or more ways to give my time, effort and/or resources to someone who needs what I can offer. It's not the least bit comparable with the magnitude of the grace I rely on every day, but a small expression of appreciation that I return to him by way of giving to others.
As he said: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me," (Matt. 25:20); and The Book of Mormon reiterates, "when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God" (Mosiah 2:17).
#Christmas
This was yesterday, but my day's duties and activities prevented me from getting around to writing anything. They also prevented me from doing anything; well, from finishing it, anyway.
I bought water to give away. I was going to drop it off at the House of Friendship, or another shelter. Not a big deed, or a big deal, but an attempt to remember the suggestion for this day, an attempt to participate.
My plans, like the many plans of mortal mice and men that "Gang aft agley," as the immortal poet said, failed. Thankfully, the Lord's plans and promises do not.
As much as here our thirst for water might not always be quenched, we have a promise that is sure that our thirst after things that are spiritual will be fully satisfied by the living water that is the endless love and infinite grace of Jesus Christ.
#Christmas
The #Gospel of Jesus Christ - particularly as taught in the LDS Church - appears to have a multitude of rules and traditions, but really there are only two requirements: love God (with all your might, mind and heart) and love others (as you love yourself).
However, simple as these things are to say, in the busy-ness of daily life we can easily lose sight of them, and our commitment can well be bruised or even broken. Some rules and traditions are meant to help fix that.
The concept of the Sabbath, in particular, is that we should take time, each week, to refocus that vision and refresh that commitment.
I appreciate that.
I appreciate as well that #Christmas itself - with its triple focus on faith, family and human welfare - is a kind of annual Sabbath day - a re-setting of our collective consciousness on the things that matter most.
I hope that each of us can enjoy that refreshing experience this season.
Few ideas are as quintessentially #Christian as that of loving others. Jesus even calls us to love our enemies and to do good to those who treat us unkindly.
The fact that some (sometimes too many) Christians do not live up to this calling does not diminish its place as central to Christian ethics and beliefs. Nor does the fact that most, if not all, other religions include the concept of love high in their assembly of ideals make it any less specially quintessential to the Christian worldview.
The truth is that most of us are incapable of loving in the way that God wants us to. We require, instead, his love to flow through us. This is what true #Charity means - the pure love of Christ - his love - manifest in and through us, thereby blessing others and transforming us in the process as we become acquainted with the nature and feeling of his gracious heart.
Becoming open to this influence starts with the simple things that express love to those around us. Each good deed, gentle word and generous (i.e., forgiving) thought that we will, thins the veil between us and the divine affection that can give rise to our "better angels", and will make every day feel more like what #Christmas is.
How fortuitous that on today - December 5 - of all days, this would be the suggested topic of this #Christmas campaign: my late mother's birthday.
Heading the suggestions for today is this simple expression:
"We shouldn’t wait for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day to express our love to our parents. We can show appreciation year-round by serving them and living the way they taught us to live."
For those of you whose mothers still live; for those of you who still have time: please, take this to heart.
There's not a Christmas, or birthday, or, really, a month that goes by since my mother (Dorothy Megan Clifton) passed away three years ago, that I don't think of the fact that I didn't ever do as much as I could for her. I didn't call or write as often as would have given her greater comfort and joy. I didn't say "thank you" enough. I wasn't patient, thoughtful or kind enough. I didn't do enough to make her life more full, pleasant, rewarding and happy.
That doesn't mean I was a horrible kid, or negligent by any obvious standards. But I know. I know that it wasn't enough.
And I don't mean that it wasn't enough for her. I mean, it wasn't enough for me. It wasn't enough to ensure that my heart could feel fully settled that I let her know, really let her know, how much I love and appreciate her.
Of course, I can't fix that now; but you may still have time to make sure your mother and father know.
Check out the suggestions here, though I am sure that you can figure some ideas out for yourself. After all, who should know them better.
Your Christmas will never be so blessed as when you fill it with loving appreciation for the mom and dad who gave you life.
During a conversation in the office today, we noted how, since the rise of Trump in the US and Trudeau in Canada, there has been a steady increase in the obviousness of hypocrisy within the circles of power that govern our society. It is easy, therefore, to judge, to be offended, to point fingers, and to gasp in disgust. But I hope we are also all looking in the mirror.
I am undoubtedly regarded as judgemental. I undoubtedly am. I try not to judge unrighteously, in so far as I try to ensure my judgements are principled and grounded in reason, based on a proper sense of what is good and just. But I am also sure I err.
I appreciate, therefore, the reminders and rituals of my faith.
Jesus Christ not only teaches me that I ought to replace judgement more often with compassion, but he also instructs me to come before him daily in prayer, and weekly at the Sacrament table, prepared for rigorous self-examination.
Were you a jerk today, Clifton? Did you disregard or hurt someone's feelings? Did you treat them as less than valued and beautiful? Did you steal (time, energy, or other resources)? Did you withhold what should have been given? Did you turn away from the needy or look down on the weak? Did you forget that you are a beggar before God and depend on him for every breath you take and every beat of your heart? Were you sufficiently grateful for the grace that daily, even moment by moment, is extended to you?
Sometimes I fail to make that examination, but I appreciate that it is there, and the experience when it is done. And I am especially grateful for the loving kindness of he who commands it and to whom for judgement I come.
#Christmas celebrates the condescension of God to us, the reminder that part of his good will is his willingness to take part with us in the difficulties, frailties and failings of life, and from there to love and lift us somewhere better, as we, in turn, ought to do for one another.
I will likely still call spades spades when I think it is right to do so, but I will always seek his guiding, and correcting, hand, and leave open the right of every person to find and rely on his grace, as I know I will always need to do.
I stalled on this entry. It wasn’t because of the topic, per se; it was because of the way I thought of addressing it. I wrote something twice; deleted it twice; felt that perhaps the message I wanted was not the right one to share. So here I am, four days later, finally posting something about it.
Perhaps that sort of hesitation to post, that uncertainty about whether my point was the right one to make, is similar to the hesitation some feel about coming to God – specifically, to Jesus Christ – for the blessings he desires to bestow.
“The fear of God,” says the writer of Proverbs, “is the beginning of wisdom.” And in Ecclesiastes, it reminds us to “keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools.”
For those who perceive the holiness of God, it is easy, and appropriate, to think twice before approaching him; to see our own shortcomings, and wonder whether we are worthy.
But when Jesus reprimanded his disciples for preventing the children from coming to see and hear him, remarking “for of such is the kingdom of God,” he reminded us that our readiness to meet God is not about how much we have yet done in our lives, or how perfect our understanding or even our behavior is.
Most children are impulsive, unwise, and prone to error; God loves them anyway. Indeed, according to Jesus, God loves them especially.
The thing is, that children know they are unwise and prone to error. What most children seek is not affirmation that they have done right, but instruction in order to do better. What that want is not pretended praise for the intellect or insight, but a sincere and gracious response to their honest and, generally, loving intentions.
Jesus also tells each of us to become like children. Each of us is invited to “come unto Christ” in whatever state we are in. We are bring to him, not our perfection or our sinlessness, but our sincere desires to be made better by his grace, to be improved in our own capacities for love, kindness, faith and hope by those characteristics that he has in perfection and abundance.
“Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him” says the prophet Moroni in The Book of Mormon, “for his grace is sufficient”. This, ultimately, is the message and invitation to all from the babe of Bethlehem.
#Christmas
No other challenge is as difficult to grasp and to perform than Christ’s commandment that we should love our enemies and do good to those who do, and intend to do, us evil.
The idea that #Christmas is a time for forgiveness is an oft repeated idea that merely reflects this principle that Jesus not only taught, but lived, forgiving and praying even for those who were viciously killing him.
This basic principle generally doesn’t need much explanation. We all know that we need forgiveness, and that a generous attitude toward even those who wish us ill can often resolve a multitude of conflicts. We do sometimes, however, need encouragement and reminders to commit to the idea. Nice reminders, like this little segment from “Home Alone”, don't touch the deepest elements of Christ's commandment, but can help us to fulfill it where it matters most. Enjoy