Passing Judgment

I spent this afternoon reading the story of Cyntoia Brown and Johnny Allen. In this story, 43-year-old Johnny Allen was shot and killed by Cyntoia Brown. Brown claimed self-defense. Allen's family claimed premeditated murder. Either person could be described as the villain or the victim, depending on what evidence you consider and which witnesses you trust. Brown was convicted of murder, but she was granted clemency before her sentence was completed. Both sides believe that an injustice was done, either by her incarceration or by her release. I don't know what to believe. But just about no matter how you slice it, this story is a tragedy, and I'm glad that I don't have to pass judgment on anyone involved.

I don't envy the Lord. Final Judgment isn't going to be quick, clean, or pretty. There will be countless factors to consider, including the complex motivations of the human hearts. Luckily, the Lord is pretty well equipped to read people's hearts and to judge them. I am neither blessed nor cursed with such insight. I don't know what goes on in other people's minds or hearts. I don't fully know why people do what they do, and I don't even know for sure who did what most of the time. I don't know enough about anyone's situation to pass judgment on them. I can say how things seem to me, using the limited knowledge and judgment I have, but that's not enough to prescribe fair punishments for them. I'd really rather not do that. I don't know enough about Johnny Allen or Cyntoia Brown to pass judgment on either of them, so I won't. So, when it comes to passing moral judgment on people for what they may or may not have done, I'll pass.

Different Tradition, Same Spirit

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is attending and participating in a Messiah Sing-Along concert. For obvious reasons, that's not going to happen this year, but during tonight's First Presidency Christmas Devotional, I took the liberty of joining the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square in singing the Hallelujah Chorus of Handel's Messiah, and I realized that I don't have to attend any in-person concert in order to sing along with that sacred music. I can play those songs on Youtube, on my MP3 player, or on CD, and sing along to my heart's content. Preferably, I'd do it at a time and place that wouldn't bother others, but I don't need others to join along. Thanks to the miracle of modern technology, I can enjoy and join in that music anytime, anywhere.

I hope you find ways to enjoy reflections of your favorite Christmas traditions, despite these extraordinary circumstances. This pandemic has cancelled many things, but it shouldn't cancel our (perhaps individual) celebrations of the birth and life of Christ. Our celebrations may be different this year, but they are no less sacred and important than they have always been. Let us all try to find ways to keep the spirit of Christmas alive this year, even if the traditions by which we celebrate that spirit have to change.

Different Sets of Insights

My family just had the fairly unique experience of reading the same chapter of scripture two nights in a row, and what I find interesting about that is that we found a different set of insights each night. What this tells me is that there are lots of insights to be found in the scriptures, and different insights may stand out to us as we read them, as inspired by the Holy Spirit. God will have different messages for us at different times, even just on different days. We're fortunate God put so many of those messages in the scriptures for us to find at different times.

Feeling the Spirit at Home

Today, I did not visit the Temple. I usually visit the Temple on Fridays because, even while it's closed, I can sit on the Temple grounds and feel the Spirit there. But the truth is, while the Temple is a special, sacred place, it's not the only place at which one can feel the Spirit. I've felt the Spirit today, even just sitting at home, as I've listened to uplifting, faith-inspiring music. While one absolutely should visit the Temple about as often as circumstances allow, it's comforting to know that we can feel the Spirit wherever we are. We can invite the Spirit into our homes and into our hearts, regardless of our physical location. So, while I enjoy going to the Temple most Fridays, I'm glad that I know that I can feel the Spirit, even at home.

Moving Forward

Tonight, I am extremely late blogging. I don't even have a good excuse this time. But rather than make excuses or apologizing, I'm just going to commit to do better next time. That's just about all a person really can do. I can't go back and make better use of the last few hours, but I can move forward and make good use of the time I'll have tomorrow.

"To All People"

One of the special things about the musical program I watched last night was the multicultural nature of it. People from many different countries sang hymns in different languages while depicting scenes from around the world. For me, the highlight of the program was a reading of Luke 2 in multiple languages, driving home the point of the angel, who said to the shepherds that these "good tidings of great joy... shall be to all people."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints isn't just an American church; it's an international church, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ blesses everyone in the world, whether or not they belong to His church or any church at all. Some of the blessings of the Atonement extend to literally everyone in the entire world, not just those who believe or who live in some parts of the world.

I'm glad that God loves all His children enough to bless all His children with gifts such as the Light of Christ and Resurrection and that He extends even greater blessings to everyone who will accept them. God wants to give all His children all the blessings that He can, and while divine law dictates that some blessings be reserved for the righteous, I find it comforting that some of the most precious and important blessings are extended freely "to all people."

Soothing Music

I spent part of this morning so stressed that I considered calling in sick from work, but I eventually managed to cope with it. Then, I spent part of tonight listening to lovely Christmas music presented by the church, and I felt wonderfully relaxed. There are many good ways to relieve stress, and listening to soothing music is one of them. And if that music also invites the Spirit by reminding us of uplifting, encouraging truths, all the better. Next time I'm stressed, I'm going to try to relieve that stress by listening to soothing, uplifting music. I just hope it doesn't backfire if/when I get interrupted. Still, it probably couldn't hurt to try.