Which Direction?

Another night when I should be going to bed but then I realize I have a post I can write...

From tweet to blog to link, I came across an article that has me remembering a moment that my mother found rather amusing. I was in one of the first few grades and had come home with a worksheet of a basic map with questions about where items were in the given picture. In my younger years I had a tendency to skip details that appeared extraneous so when the first question asked which direction Susie needed to go to get to the wagon I became confused. We'd been shown the compass rose in class, so that wasn't my problem. What was my problem was that no matter which way I turned my body to face wherever north was, the page had to turn with me, so that meant Susie's directions could be any which way. When I explained this problem to my mother, she had quite the laugh and pointed out the rose on the map - that was how to know in which direction things were. No turning required.

Fast forward to tonight, and this article addresses the confusion of directions when comparing standard western interpretations with those of meso-american. Whereas we pinpoint the absolute directions and then qualify the degrees between, many of these cultures mainly focus on the east-west direction as marked by the path of the sun. If anyone has actually paid attention to basic astronomy (completely different from astrology), then you will realize that the sun doesn't actually follow the exact same path throughout the year. According to the author's diagram, there is about a 50º variation in the east and west ranges, with the north and south filling in the left-over spaces. Many of these cultures find 'north' and 'south' so inconsequential that they don't even have direct translations for them. Ultimately, this means that at any given time of year, our ideas of the cardinal directions could actually vary greatly from those documented in various translations. (For Mormons, this could do much to illuminate directionality in the Book of Mormon.)

Such thoughts led me to two reflection points.

First, (the non-religious one) this should be yet another indicator of an issue I have posted on before this. When more than a single entity interacts, there will be different viewpoints and perspectives. If we enter that arena assuming all parties must see, understand, relate to all things as we do, we are setting ourselves up for failure. For a true meeting of minds and hearts to occur, there must be a common ground and this requires a willingness to consider, to see from, the other's perspective. If each party truly does this, then a true dialog can be entered into, whereas without - you tread into a minefield waiting to explode. This will require that the ego be set aside knowing that the world does not actually revolve around your particular world-view. This seems to be harder for some than others, but it critical in efforts to achieve compromise and therefore unity in whatever the endeavor.

Secondly, the article pointed out that it was not uncommon for many of the ancient cultures to determine, like the child me, that north must be whichever way you are facing, whichever way you decide it to be. Egypt chose to see north as the direction from which the Nile came to them. And the Hebrews, who also oriented themselves by facing the rising sun, denoted that direction as forward and west as behind, with north and south and left and right. This made me think of the scripture in one of my earliest posts:

Isaiah 52:12
For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rearward.

As light is a metaphor of the Savior and the sun is the great source of physical light in our eyes, then facing the sun(Son) clearly places His path as 'going before you' and ultimately guarding 'your rearward'. This requires you to put Him in the forefront of your life, however, as the guiding point as you choose your directions. Much as King Benjamin's people placed their tents that they might face the temple (Mosiah 2:6), or how Lot was warned to keep his face turned from Sodom (Genesis 19:17) while he fled, where we focus our attention will dictate our direction. Isaiah's verse shows us, however, that so long as we focus on the Savior and make Him our guiding star (don't forget that the sun is actually a star...) he will take care of the past behind us. If we choose to live in our past, our future will be lost, just as Lot's wife discovered. [Do you know how often the scriptures augment my sodium cravings?] So long as our path is straight, we have promise of His protection.

'Fail' With Glory

There was a long time in my earlier years when I was so overloaded with responsibilities, demands, and expectations that I could hardly keep my head above water, so to speak. I had a constant gnawing worry that I wouldn't be able to juggle everything and knew there would be no mercy if anything slipped up. Or so I thought. At home, at school, and at work, this was true. I suppose it should not be a surprise that church provided the one source of breathing space.

There was one sacrament meeting where the speaker related a simple parable that began a slow process of understanding. In the story, a Master instructs a servant to push a giant rock as his task while the Master goes away on other business. The rock is much larger than the servant but the servant loves his Master and wishes to do all that is asked of him. But the rock won't budge. The servant works and strains and tries everything he can to move the rock and becomes more and more distressed at the thought of the Master returning with the rock still in place. Ultimately, he does return, and the servant is devastated to report his failure. Then the Master asks him a question. "Did I ask you to move the rock? No. I only asked you to push it, to give all the strength you could in doing so. I did not expect the rock to be moved. My purpose, rather, was that you gain strength for another task I have for you. Now you are prepared for that one."

This comes to mind now from a few verses I came across in my scripture reading this morning. In Isaiah 49:1-4, Isaiah laments that all his efforts have meant nothing. No one has really listened or cared about the warnings he's been instructed to give. He's tried so hard to help the people he loves, the people the Lord loves, to help them see that their actions were going to bring hard things upon them. But if no one listens, what good did any of it do?

There are two places that come to mind in the Book of Mormon that show relative parallels with Isaiah's concerns regarding the responsibility of leaders. In Mosiah, King Benjamin is reporting at the end of his reign on his efforts to lead the people righteously, well. In chapter 2, verses 15 and 27, it reads:
15 Yet, my brethren, I have not done these things that I might boast, neither do I tell these things that thereby I might accuse you; but I tell you these things that ye may know that I can answer a clear conscience before God this day.
27 Therefore, as I said unto you that I had served you, walking with a clear conscience before God, even so I at this time have caused that ye should assemble yourselves together, that I might be found blameless, and that your blood should not come upon me, when I shall stand to be judged of God of the things whereof he hath commanded me concerning you.

Likewise, some 300 or more years earlier, Jacob, brother of Nephi (first author in the Book of Mormon), has this to say regarding the responsibilities of his ministry. (Jacob 1:19)
19 And we did magnify our office unto the Lord, taking upon us the responsibility, answering the sins of the people upon our own heads if we did not teach them the word of God with all diligence; wherefore, by laboring with our might their blood might not come upon our garments; otherwise their blood would come upon our garments, and we would not be found spotless at the last day.

Clearly there is a responsibility and Isaiah's anguish over the lack of response to his efforts becomes more clear. He feels like he is failing even though he has tried so hard. It hasn't made a difference. Or so it seems. Perhaps reading the verses above through one more time will help make the actual issue more clear. In verse 15, King Benjamin has worked to the ultimate end that he can have a clear conscience when he finally stands before God. That clear conscience does not require that everyone under his authority lived perfectly and that his society had no troubles to work through or disturbances. It only required that he did the best he could, worked honestly, and gave it all that he could give. Isaiah did not manage to prevent the captivity of Israel. Their actions were ultimately their own choices and therefore their own responsibility. Isaiah's responsibility was rather to make sure they had access to the information necessary so that it really was THEIR choice. (A choice isn't really a choice unless you understand there are different options available.)

I think of Oliver Granger, mentioned in only 4 verses of the Doctrine and Covenants in section 117 (12-15). Elder Boyd K Packer gives a clearer understanding of the import of those verses in his talk "The Least of These" from the 2004 General Conference. If you read the links, you see that he was given a task and asked to do the best he could, but ultimately, it was one were he couldn't really succeed. And yet, in verse 13, it says:
and when he falls he shall rise again, for his sacrifice shall be more sacred unto me than his increase, saith the Lord.
His best efforts, relatively ineffective as they were, were really all that the Lord was asking for.

I have always loved the sounds of fanfare which will help explain to some extent why I've always liked the hymn "God Speed the Right". One line in the second verse always bothered me, though.

If we fail, we fail with glory.

How could failing anything be related to the idea of glory? Wouldn't the appropriate award for failure be shame? That's how I always felt when considering how hard I'd try and yet have little outward evidence to show for it. As I said before, understanding the concept that I'm writing about is one that has taken and still is taking me a long time. Literally just now as I pulled up the text to link it here and reading through it, I realized that the whole song is pretty much about this idea. We keep going. We give it our all. And if we 'fail' insomuch that we don't get the results we were aiming for, it is still of great worth to God because we did give it our all. And ultimately, we are succeeding in the thing that matters most to Him - strengthening and purifying ourselves so that we will be prepared to go home to Him at the last. Talk about 'glory'!

Writings from 2011: Balancing Haste With Procrastination

One of the verses in the Bible that often comes to mind during times of change is found in Isaiah 52:12.

"For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward." (sic)

I include the second half because it helped me understand the first half. I'd always read it to mean, much in Treebeard's manner, "Don't be hasty." Take proper time to prepare and act without rushing about in a foolish frenzy as that can cause mistakes. I also saw it as a call for patience as I tend to get anxious if I can't get things accomplished soon after I realize it's needed. That verse helped me realize that things are in God's hands and to let myself have peace while waiting on His timetable.

Then, a year ago, I connected both parts. The second talks of the Lord preparing where you are going (what is 'before you') but also managing what is left behind. Tying up loose ends, so to speak. Seeing the duality of the last part, it finally registered that the first could also be talking of two things.

Instead of 'haste' and 'flight' being synonymous, both warning against impulsiveness in important situations, these words are also bookends. Where 'haste' could be seen as jumping the gun, could not 'flight' be the result of delay, of leaving yourself without enough time to act, to live?

While I am inclined to be hasty at times, I am not a procrastinator by nature. However, balancing these two elements is still difficult. It is much the same as balancing faith and action. You must employ faith to avoid a hasty over-reaction, and you must employ action to avoid the necessity of fleeing at the last minute in an unprepared frenzy. It is learning to keep this balance which gives a greater peace, and therefore fullness, to life.

In accepting that life happens at its own speed, we come to recognize that peace. By embracing change and our own responsibility to act and make choices for ourselves, we learn and grow. And if we will trust in a God of love and power who has our best interests at heart, we will find greater peace, strength, and wisdom than we ever could manage on our own.

[Stories with related elements: The prodigal son - impatient to receive his inheritance and pursuant troubles; Last Holiday with Queen Latifah - finally starts living after being told she only had one month left to live.]