Memorial Day

Remembering Jesus this Memorial Day.  Hope yours is memorable.  We remember the fallen.

Our freedom was paid for with a great price.  We are redeemed, the debt paid, the burden forgiven.  Of all the fallen warriors, I celebrate Him.  Thank you, Jesus.       

Unrighteous Dominion in the Skies

Dear Magdalene,

I've been wanting to write to you about authority for several days now.  We had an interesting event, you and I, on the airplane coming home from Utah.  An encounter with "authority", per se.  We had a bossy flight attendant who didn't know how to use manners, but ordered everyone around for even the littlest of things.

We learned that just because someone has "authority" doesn't make them right.  You had to use the bathroom after this woman pressured you into drinking a whole can of soda, which was meant to be a treat, not a chore.  You drank it, and once the seatbelt sign went on to land the plane, you had to pee.  Of course, you had to wait at least 10-15 minutes, while the plane seemed to circle around and around, for fear of the monster flight-attendant reprimanding you... and me.

When you started crying because you were afraid you couldn't hold it, and the plane had landed but not yet made it to the gate, we got unbuckled and walked two steps toward the bathroom before the flight attendant scolded, "What are you doing???"  She demanded you and I get back in our seats.  I tried to explain your predicament.  She declared we were breaking the law and FAA regulations.  She declared this twice, insisting again we get back in our seats.  I warned her you might pee your pants.  She didn't care.  She said that was your "choice".  

Is this "unrighteous dominion"?  Using a position of authority to insist that someone who does not hold that authority do something contrary to common sense, common respect, or common decency?  To bully someone into drinking a full can of soda, insisting they follow a law meant to protect them, and then humiliate them with a potentially very embarrassing situation?

I supposed I should have told you to go ahead and pee on the seat.  Maybe we could've been arrested for indecent exposure for all I know.  I took the lady's name, but after sleeping on it, I realized that being "consumer avenger" like I used to be wasn't worth it.  Writing the airline a nice long letter of complaint on why I think this woman is poorly representing the company would've been my normal routine, but after learning what I have learned this past year, and realizing that this could very well be a test for me, I realized it would be better to forgive this poor power-greedy woman, and pray for her soul.  Satan accuses.  Jesus forgives.  I made my choice, now it was time to follow through for once.

Maybe she never owned "power" as a woman.  Maybe she feels inferior, so she uses this false "authority" to domineer over others so she can feel like a better person.  In the end, it doesn't matter much anymore to me.  But it does matter as a lesson for us in unrighteous dominion.

In D&C 121, it talks extensively about Priesthood power, and this very same concept.  While it applies specifically to those who hold the Priesthood, I believe it applies to all human beings in any position of authority.  We know when our "control" is wrong, when it's domineering, condescending  and abusive.  Insisting others keep our secrets, manipulating them, harassing them or other kinds of subtle control are just as evil as outright demands and abuse.  Guard against it.  And if you have to be subservient, pray for the one inflicting the evil.  They need your prayers more than you need to hold the anger and resentment that they foster.  You're better off letting it go.

Love you!
~Mom<3

Sincerity

If we could all say this a whole lot more and with a whole lot more sincerity, the world would definitely be a much more loving place to reside in.

Forgiveness vs. Reconciliation

During the drive home this past weekend, I got to listen to a Catholic Radio Show.  I didn't catch the name of the host or the guest, but the topic was on the virtue of forgiveness.  This really piqued my interest, because there was an issue I was pondering how to forgive for.  It seems to me that some of the biggest burdens people carry, especially in terms of physical weight, is that they don't forgive.  And sometimes it's really easy to understand.

One of the callers asked the host how she should seek help from the church (the Catholic Church) when it was a priest who caused the grievance by their act(s) of molestation.  It was unclear if she had been abused, or someone she loved.  But regardless, it was clear that the question caught the guest off guard, despite his best efforts at answering it.  He seemed to be pulling at straws, trying to find a way for his Church to redeem this woman from her pain.  All the while, I'm waiting for some mention of the true Redeemer.  There was none.

This gave me pause for reflection.  What would I have said, in that instance?  Is not the purpose of life to become reconciled with Christ?  We all cause pain to someone else at some point or another.  And we all receive pain at some point too.  How do we forgive?

Tonight I was also getting caught up on some tv shows I missed.  One of the shows, Once Upon a Time, showed Snow White telling the Evil Queen for the thousandth time that she was sorry for whatever she had done that made the Queen hate her so much.  The Queen was calling for a truce, which required Snow White to eat an apple that would put her in a living coffin of sorts.  To put the burden to rest, Snow White ate the poisoned apple, trusting that the Queen would finally bury the hatchet and let everyone in the land live in peace, including Prince Charming, who Snow loved the most.

Well it didn't happen.

The Evil Queen still hasn't forgiven Snow White, and an evil curse covered the land for many, many years.  It's startling how powerful forgiveness is, and when it's not applied, the one who carries its lack bears the burden–in this case, it was carried by the Queen.

But I believe everyone carries it.  Every person involved in the story carried the burden of living under the Queen's curse.  The energy of the issue was still there for everyone to feel the effects of.

In another random story, I got an email from Dr. Laura, who is vigilant against sex offenders.  She often highlights stories and letters from children (now adults) who have been abused by another.  The bottom line is that there is no forgiveness, and she encourages this view.  I don't know what to think of this.  But as the Catholic radio show guest pointed out, "There is a difference between forgiveness and reconciliation".  I would never actively suggest someone go reconcile with their abuser.  That's up to them.  But forgiveness?  By encouraging someone to not forgive is encouraging them to continue carrying an awfully heavy burden.  Even when abuse is not involved, to hold out forgiving someone so that they feel more pain from what they did is just cruel.  Adding pain to all involved, holding grudges and withholding forgiveness is evil.  Take it from the Queen.

The bottom line?  Christs asks us to forgive, even our offenders.  It's something He can help us with, if we let Him.