Change

This was an interesting weekend. I hadn't planned on so many incidents that would make me think, but there they were, fully formed and thought provoking. And so, I thought, I pondered, I wondered, I discussed, I came to some conclusions.

Kate performed a play called "Closetland". It was very disturbing to me. I suppose this is okay, because it's not meant to be light entertainment, it's meant to say something. The basic story is this: in an unnamed country, a woman is taken from her home in the middle of the night and interrogated for sedition and treason. The interrogation quickly becomes torture. Lovely story, isn't it?

A couple of days ago Kate was talking to me about the Patriot Act. That's not a very pleasant topic either. Ask her about it sometime. She has fully formed and well informed opinions. I, on the other hand, am woefully uninformed and therefore have opinions that are not as concrete, some would not hesitate to say "half-baked". But I believe everyone has the right to their own opinion and that includes me.

My opinion on this is strongly influenced by my religion. Do I believe this is a serious miscarriage of human rights? Yes! Do I think we, the people, need to stand up and do everything we can to change this? Yes! Do I think we are going to be successful? No. Do I think this is inevitable? Yes. Why? The constitution must hang by a thread, and this is certainly helping in that regard. And that is what causes my feelings about the matter to be so mixed: there are things that must happen before the end will come, and this is certainly contributing to one of those things.

The lesson in Sunday School this week was wonderful and uplifting, which is good, because "Closetland" was Saturday night. The discussion was about everything the Savior had done for us. The answer to that is quite simple: everything. I felt the Spirit as those around me told of experiences with struggles and trials and finally being strengthened. I listened to the thoughts the teacher had prepared and it seeded thoughts of my own. It all starts with a simple verb: come. There is so much contained in that short word, worlds of meaning, depth of definition. The action itself, is not always so simple, but the concept is. Come. And I realized that I need to take action, I need to come unto Him. It's a never ending undertaking. But this I know, I want the blessings that are promised after the action is taken.

Last night David and I watched a pretty great movie, "Amazing Grace". The song was mutilated a couple of times during the movie, but even I got over it as the story unfolded. It's about the abolition of slave trade in England, lead by a man named William Wilburforce. He spends years of his life working to end what he knows to be an inhumane and despicable practice. The fact that he eventually succeeds is public record, but the telling of the story entranced me. I had never pondered the fact that good things, difficult things, happened all over the world, all throughout time. I believe that the founding fathers of this country were led by God. I believe that Abraham Lincoln was led by God to end slavery here. But what of this man, Wilburforce? Is it possible that he was led by God as well? I think it not only probable, but highly likely. It makes me think that wherever great and good change occurs, the hand of God is there, guiding the process.

It took some time, but my thoughts coalesced into something infinitely more workable. If all change that is great and good occurs with the hand of God, I am not expected to make serious change by myself. If I come unto Him and ask for help, I can be guided in any endeavors that are good. It may take time. It will take suffering and sacrifice. But change can be wrought upon an ungrateful and uncaring world. One person at a time. One thought at a time. I believe this without question, without qualm. After all, experiences conspired against me this weekend, and I am changed.