"The only way to take sorrow out of death is to take love out of life." --Russell M. Nelson
Due to recent headlines of lives taken violently and too soon, I hesitate to write anything on the matter at all. I've watched the last few days as my friends have bickered on social media over recent events and the proper courses of action as a result. (Because having a Facebook or Twitter account makes one an expert on such matters.) I've made the conscious effort myself not to post anything condemning or politicized--because I don't feel this is a time to stand on soap-boxes and point fingers. This is a time to mourn with those who mourn--and comfort those who stand in need of comfort.
And that's what I hope this post can be to someone--somewhere. A source of comfort.
This morning, I woke up to another tear-jerking headline of a two-year old who met their tragic mortal end at a Disney World resort. Did anyone else hug the kids in their lives a little harder today? I did. Especially my two year old nephew who--not too long ago--returned home from a Disney World trip with his family. It's hard not to empathize with that parents who--like so many other parents--planned what was supposed to be a positively memorable experience for their children.... There aren't words. How does one heal from something like that?
Ok--so, how are we supposed to be comforted? Where can we, collectively and/or individually, turn for peace?
For me, the answer is simple (but very, very profound): Peace is found in Jesus Christ.
All right, all right, all right. I'm sure there are a host of you tuning out now. I get it--no one wants religion forced down their throats. But hear me out. I'm not going to try to convert anyone here, but I would like to explain a piece of the Mormon perspective on the Atonement (the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ), because we explain the Atonement a bit differently than main-stream Christianity.
I believe that when Jesus Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane that He suffered for more than just sins. I believe He took on every circumstance of the human condition--past, present, and future. In the Book of Mormon, we're taught that Christ took upon Himself every pain, infirmity, and affliction of all people so that He would know best how to succor them in their times of need.
Think about that. Every situation. Every sickness. Every senseless act of hate. Every gut-wrenching accident. Every struggle to make peace with the aftermath. That's what I believe Jesus Christ felt as He knelt there in that garden.
What's more, is that I also believe the Lord felt these things individually--not collectively. He knows what it's like to be me. He knows what it's like to be you. He knows what it's like to be a young man excited to go dancing at a nightclub--only to experience a hellish kind of fear as he's gunned down by one claiming moral superiority. He knows what it's like to be that young man's friend who saw it happen. He knows what it's like to be a two year old boy who, while visiting the happiest place on Earth, was taken painfully too soon. He knows what's it's like to be that little boy's father. And that little boy's mother. And He knows what it is to be a sibling of that boy. Because He felt it. Because, in some way impossible for me to comprehend, the Savior lived it too.
So, what does that mean for those directly involved in these incidents (and other incidents just as awful)? It means that Jesus Christ was there to comfort and love the victims before, during, and after the tragedy. It means that He is still there to love and comfort those left behind.
And, what does that mean for those of us who are merely sympathetic (or perhaps empathetic) spectators? Again, I think the answer is simple--yet profound. We are to follow the lead of the one called Master and do as He would do. We are to mourn with those who mourn and comfort those who stand in need of comfort. We are to seek to understand before seeking to be understood. We are to have compassion. We are to exemplify all that is good about humanity and life, especially when it seems that goodness comes in short supply.
At the beginning of this post, I have a quote from Elder Russell M. Nelson, an Apostle. Here it is again (in case you've forgotten):
"The only way to take sorrow out of death is to take love out of life."
May all of us those who suffer (which is all of us, in some way or another) find the courage to give and receive love-- and to appreciate every moment allotted to us. And may we find comfort in knowing that feelings of sorrow are evidence that we have loved and been loved. And, above all else, may we always remember that it is through the infinite and eternal love of Jesus Christ that all of our temporary set-backs and heart aches, including death, will be mended. I can confidently say that somehow, someday everything that is wrong and unfair about this life will be corrected and made whole again through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. But, until then, it is my prayer that this same love will sufficiently succor all those in need of it--that they may find some peace in the hours, days, weeks, months, and years ahead.
Due to recent headlines of lives taken violently and too soon, I hesitate to write anything on the matter at all. I've watched the last few days as my friends have bickered on social media over recent events and the proper courses of action as a result. (Because having a Facebook or Twitter account makes one an expert on such matters.) I've made the conscious effort myself not to post anything condemning or politicized--because I don't feel this is a time to stand on soap-boxes and point fingers. This is a time to mourn with those who mourn--and comfort those who stand in need of comfort.
And that's what I hope this post can be to someone--somewhere. A source of comfort.
This morning, I woke up to another tear-jerking headline of a two-year old who met their tragic mortal end at a Disney World resort. Did anyone else hug the kids in their lives a little harder today? I did. Especially my two year old nephew who--not too long ago--returned home from a Disney World trip with his family. It's hard not to empathize with that parents who--like so many other parents--planned what was supposed to be a positively memorable experience for their children.... There aren't words. How does one heal from something like that?
Ok--so, how are we supposed to be comforted? Where can we, collectively and/or individually, turn for peace?
For me, the answer is simple (but very, very profound): Peace is found in Jesus Christ.
All right, all right, all right. I'm sure there are a host of you tuning out now. I get it--no one wants religion forced down their throats. But hear me out. I'm not going to try to convert anyone here, but I would like to explain a piece of the Mormon perspective on the Atonement (the suffering, death and resurrection of Christ), because we explain the Atonement a bit differently than main-stream Christianity.
I believe that when Jesus Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane that He suffered for more than just sins. I believe He took on every circumstance of the human condition--past, present, and future. In the Book of Mormon, we're taught that Christ took upon Himself every pain, infirmity, and affliction of all people so that He would know best how to succor them in their times of need.
Think about that. Every situation. Every sickness. Every senseless act of hate. Every gut-wrenching accident. Every struggle to make peace with the aftermath. That's what I believe Jesus Christ felt as He knelt there in that garden.
What's more, is that I also believe the Lord felt these things individually--not collectively. He knows what it's like to be me. He knows what it's like to be you. He knows what it's like to be a young man excited to go dancing at a nightclub--only to experience a hellish kind of fear as he's gunned down by one claiming moral superiority. He knows what it's like to be that young man's friend who saw it happen. He knows what it's like to be a two year old boy who, while visiting the happiest place on Earth, was taken painfully too soon. He knows what's it's like to be that little boy's father. And that little boy's mother. And He knows what it is to be a sibling of that boy. Because He felt it. Because, in some way impossible for me to comprehend, the Savior lived it too.
So, what does that mean for those directly involved in these incidents (and other incidents just as awful)? It means that Jesus Christ was there to comfort and love the victims before, during, and after the tragedy. It means that He is still there to love and comfort those left behind.
And, what does that mean for those of us who are merely sympathetic (or perhaps empathetic) spectators? Again, I think the answer is simple--yet profound. We are to follow the lead of the one called Master and do as He would do. We are to mourn with those who mourn and comfort those who stand in need of comfort. We are to seek to understand before seeking to be understood. We are to have compassion. We are to exemplify all that is good about humanity and life, especially when it seems that goodness comes in short supply.
At the beginning of this post, I have a quote from Elder Russell M. Nelson, an Apostle. Here it is again (in case you've forgotten):
"The only way to take sorrow out of death is to take love out of life."
May all of us those who suffer (which is all of us, in some way or another) find the courage to give and receive love-- and to appreciate every moment allotted to us. And may we find comfort in knowing that feelings of sorrow are evidence that we have loved and been loved. And, above all else, may we always remember that it is through the infinite and eternal love of Jesus Christ that all of our temporary set-backs and heart aches, including death, will be mended. I can confidently say that somehow, someday everything that is wrong and unfair about this life will be corrected and made whole again through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. But, until then, it is my prayer that this same love will sufficiently succor all those in need of it--that they may find some peace in the hours, days, weeks, months, and years ahead.
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