Laugh and Play and Sing
Don Chilton, St. Louis, MO, USA
Lift up your eyes and fix them on the place beyond the horizon to which you are sent. Journey in trust, assured that the great and marvelous work is for this time and for all time. Claim your unique and sacred place within the circle of those who call upon the name of Jesus Christ. Be faithful to the spirit of the Restoration, mindful that it is a spirit of adventure, openness, and searching. Walk proudly and with a quickened step. Be a joyful people. Laugh and play and sing, embodying the hope and freedom of the gospel. Become a people of the Temple-those who see violence but proclaim peace, who feel conflict yet extend the hand of reconciliation, who encounter broken spirits and find pathways for healing. -Doctrine and Covenants 161:1-2a
I find great comfort and encouragement in these words of counsel found in Doctrine and Covenants 161. During this time in history, with all the concerns of COVID-19, social justice, political strife, hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, and everything else going on right now, the words of the first three paragraphs of this section speak to me; I hope they speak to you as well.
When I am feeling anxious or frustrated with all that is going on in our world, I turn to this scripture, and I am reminded to trust God and that this work is for this time and all time. I am reminded that our faith walk is one of adventure, openness, and searching. Don’t we all enjoy an adventure? How blessed we are in this faith tradition to have this glorious gospel! It is indeed an adventure!
I love the sentences, “Walk proudly and with a quickened step” and “Be a joyful people. Laugh and play and sing, embodying the hope and freedom of the gospel.” Do we walk proudly? Do our communities see we are truly a joyful people? Do we laugh and play and sing? In these difficult days do people see the hope and freedom of the gospel lived through our lives?
Are we proclaiming peace? Are we extending the hand of reconciliation? Are we finding pathways for healing? That is our call. I see the response to that call being demonstrated in so many ways. There are so many beautiful testimonies of God’s goodness and grace and about how God is guiding us on this journey. This truly is a marvelous adventure when we journey in trust. It is a marvelous adventure, not just for good times, but for all times including this time.
That is why we can be a joyful people.
That is why we can walk proudly.
That is why we can laugh and play and sing.
Prayer Phrase
Are we moving toward Jesus, the peaceful One?
Spiritual Practice
Breathing God’s Compassion
Light a candle and sit quietly, reflecting on the fire and light of God. Pay attention to your breathing and let it become calmer and deeper as you focus on God’s presence. Ask God to breathe in you. Image each breath carrying the light of God into your lungs, bloodstream, and every cell in your body until God’s Spirit fills you. Now imagine breathing out God’s compassion and grace each time you exhale. Pray to have the Spirit of Christ radiate from your life like the gentle flame of a candle.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
