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Union in the universe
Jul. 26th, 2008 07:49 pmHave you ever had one of those moments where the universe seems to line up in peace and you know that this is the way things are meant to be? We went to a summer fest in the back yard of the church this afternoon, and for once the weather was lovely--around 80, with soft, glowing grass for small feet to run bare on, and a vine-covered arbor to eat under, and smoked sausages and watermelon and water games for kids… Since it's been a scant six days since having a baby, I just sat and held said baby and talked to people (when you are holding a baby, you don't need to go up to people--they come to you). And I watched people. And I thought about union.
Don't get me wrong--diversity is a good thing because it says each individual has worth, no matter who they are. It's a break against the notion that only one group has value, and everyone else falls into varying degrees of dross. But there is something beyond diversity, and that is union. It's when a six-day-old and a 90-year-old can enjoy the same event. It's when the Russian, American, and German eight-year-olds can all have a rousing round of soccer together, or when a 14-year-old shows a 3-year-old who isn't even related to him how to dribble the ball. It's when people of different races and religions and backgrounds can bring everything that makes them strong and unique, and let those things flow into each others' lives and fill in each others' gaps. Your contribution is unique and valued because it makes the sum total more than it would be without you. You are individual AND accepted in the group. It reminded me of a passage in the Book of Mormon. The Nephites and the Lamanites were two groups who were always at war with each other, except for a few remarkable times when they figured out how to live in peace. 4 Nephi 1:17 describes one of these events thus: "There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one…"
Obviously I'm particularly sensitized at the moment, noticing all the ways in which my family's life has bled into and mixed with the cultures and individuals we've encountered, here and in the other places we've lived. It reminds me of other times I've felt this coming-together--sometimes it's been a quiet thing, like today. Sometimes it's been a moment of excitement, like with the European soccer cup, or rejoicing, because someone in the children's writing world has finally, after so many setbacks, found an agent or sold a book. And sometimes it's been a moment where people have shone their best to help another in need, like the thousands of people who lined up to see if they could donate stem cells to save the lives of Luise and Emil.
I don't know why we don't look for these moments more. But my wish to you today is that there are no more strangers among you, nor any manner of -ites, but that you find peace and unity with the people around you.
Don't get me wrong--diversity is a good thing because it says each individual has worth, no matter who they are. It's a break against the notion that only one group has value, and everyone else falls into varying degrees of dross. But there is something beyond diversity, and that is union. It's when a six-day-old and a 90-year-old can enjoy the same event. It's when the Russian, American, and German eight-year-olds can all have a rousing round of soccer together, or when a 14-year-old shows a 3-year-old who isn't even related to him how to dribble the ball. It's when people of different races and religions and backgrounds can bring everything that makes them strong and unique, and let those things flow into each others' lives and fill in each others' gaps. Your contribution is unique and valued because it makes the sum total more than it would be without you. You are individual AND accepted in the group. It reminded me of a passage in the Book of Mormon. The Nephites and the Lamanites were two groups who were always at war with each other, except for a few remarkable times when they figured out how to live in peace. 4 Nephi 1:17 describes one of these events thus: "There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one…"
Obviously I'm particularly sensitized at the moment, noticing all the ways in which my family's life has bled into and mixed with the cultures and individuals we've encountered, here and in the other places we've lived. It reminds me of other times I've felt this coming-together--sometimes it's been a quiet thing, like today. Sometimes it's been a moment of excitement, like with the European soccer cup, or rejoicing, because someone in the children's writing world has finally, after so many setbacks, found an agent or sold a book. And sometimes it's been a moment where people have shone their best to help another in need, like the thousands of people who lined up to see if they could donate stem cells to save the lives of Luise and Emil.
I don't know why we don't look for these moments more. But my wish to you today is that there are no more strangers among you, nor any manner of -ites, but that you find peace and unity with the people around you.
