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Every great thing has a beginning. A new business grows from an idea. A piece of art develops from a moment of inspiration. A skillset or talent blossoms from a desire to try something new. Anything great or grand comes from something small and simple. In fact, the scriptures teach us “that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass.”[1]
A new year is here—a time for new beginnings, new goals, and new dreams, a time when we look forward to the future and consider what we want to accomplish and what we hope might come true.
Not long ago, I had the opportunity to serve as a lay minister in my congregation. One of my most enjoyable and meaningful responsibilities was to work with young people. These youth inspired me, they taught me, and they made me want to be better.
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
It was Christmas Eve, 1818, in the small Austrian village of Oberndorf. Just after midnight in St. Nicholas Church, the carol “Silent Night” was performed for the first time. The words had been written two years earlier by a young priest, Joseph Mohr, who recognized the effects the Napoleonic Wars had on his congregants.[1] These were dark and heavy times. But the wars had ended, and Joseph wrote from his heart the now famous words, “Silent night! Holy night! All is calm, all is bright.”[2]
Nearly every Sunday morning, I arrive early before the start of our weekly Music & the Spoken Word broadcast. I often take a seat at the back of the concert hall and watch as the choir loft fills, one by one, with members of The Tabernacle Choir.
The light from one candle is enough to spark new light in another. As Rabbi Davis taught, you and I have the same opportunity to share light. Our individual light may feel small, but it is potentially powerful—powerful enough to light the world!
Blessings come in numerous ways. Many are recognized immediately, while others seem to unfold slowly over time. Anything that contributes to our true happiness, well-being, or prosperity is a blessing, and these blessings come from God.[1]
Have you ever felt weighed down, heavy with pressures or concerns for a loved one? Well, if you have, you’re not alone. I certainly have, and I imagine these are feelings that at one time or another everyone has felt.
I want to share today a story, a true story, about the power of words. Whether spoken or written, words have power to inspire, to teach, and to encourage. Words also have power to belittle, to mock, and even to destroy. The words we use, whether directed toward ourselves or others, create and set the lens through which we view and navigate the world.
Yehudi Menuhin was one of the great violinists of the twentieth century. To him, playing the violin was a form of human healing, a way to make peace within oneself.[1] He said, “Peace may sound simple, . . . but it requires everything we have, every quality, every strength.”[2]
Not long ago, I had the opportunity to serve as a lay minister in my congregation. One of my most enjoyable and meaningful responsibilities was to work with young people. These youth inspired me, they taught me, and they made me want to be better.
We live in a society that often seems to value outgoing, adventurous personalities over others. In a variety of ways, our culture suggests that we need to be bold to be successful, talkative to be happy, even loud to be worth hearing. This message is so pervasive that those who are more introspective, private, and quiet can begin to feel ashamed of their personality traits. They may long to be the life of the party—not the one who sits in the corner, lost in thought. They might think they need to be the one with many friends, not the one who enjoys fewer but deeper relationships. The culture may lead them to think that it’s better to be the center of attention—not the one who is content to observe.
We live in an incredible era of information. Advances in technology have put the world’s collective knowledge literally in the palm of our hand. We can learn a language, read a book, and even connect with people thousands of miles away, while doing countless other things with a little tool we carry around in our pocket.
“Everyday courage has few witnesses. But yours is no less noble just because no drumbeats for you and no crowds shout your name.” Those are the words of Robert Louis Stevenson.
If you’ve ever tried to help a toddler eat, you know how important independence is to human nature. The older a child gets, the more she insists on feeding herself—no matter how messy it gets. To the child (and, to a lesser degree, to her parents) the increased independence is well worth getting some food on her face, on her clothes, and even on Mom and Dad.
[1] We all know that every person has basic needs: food, water, shelter. But we don’t often think of some less-visible needs. The philosopher and psychologist William James is credited with saying, “The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.” And yet so many people go days, weeks, months, or even longer without ever hearing a word of thanks or getting any recognition for their good work.
People all over the world, in every culture and clime, pursue greatness. The desire to succeed and excel is as universal as is natural. But what is true greatness? How do we know when we have achieved it? Some might say that greatness happens in rare, extraordinary moments when someone of unusual ability rises above his or her peers. Howard W. Hunter, himself a great man and beloved spiritual leader, offered a different definition of greatness when he said, “To do one’s best in the face of the commonplace struggles of life—and possibly in the face of failure—and to continue to endure and to persevere in the ongoing difficulties of life when those struggles and tasks contribute to others’ progress and happiness, … this is true greatness.”[2]
The book of Psalms in the Bible is a collection of sacred poems of praise and prayer to God. Many were once set to music; and today, musicians around the world are drawn to the psalms for inspiration. So, in a sense, the book of Psalms is like an ancient hymnbook, filled with worshipful devotion to the Most High.
Music has been called the timeless and universal language—a language of peace, of love, of hope. No matter where we live, regardless of our age and stage of life, music can lift and inspire us, it can soften and console us, it can instruct and entertain us. Such music becomes like a lifelong friend. We can recall lyrics and tunes we haven’t heard for decades, because they seem almost to be burned into our soul.
We each have a backstory—the experiences, events, and choices that helped shape us into the people we’ve become. One of the best ways to understand a person, even someone we might disagree with, is to learn his or her story. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow put it this way: “If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man’s life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.”[1] Though most of us don’t see each other as enemies, the sentiment is clear. It’s much harder to dislike a person whose story you understand.
Thousands of years ago, the psalmist wrote these comforting words: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psalm 30:5). That message of faith and hope is just as needed today, because nights of weeping haven’t gone away. Every time darkness descends in our lives, we can’t help but wonder if the light will ever return. But it always does come, and with it the chance for improvement and renewal.
A university student recently had a life-changing insight. But unlike most things he was learning as a student, this insight didn’t come from a lecture or a textbook. In fact, it was sparked when he forgot something from his textbook.
Most of the time, life is pretty wonderful. The world around us is filled with beauty. We are surrounded by people who care about us. And we wonder how life could be any better.
Life was not meant to be an unending sequence of beautiful days. But beautiful things can happen even on gloomy days, and often those beautiful things happen when we find a way to make someone smile.
In Proverbs, we read the admonition “Ponder the path of thy feet” (Proverbs 4:26). Often our feet move so quickly from one important task to another that thoughtfully pondering our path can seem unrealistic—or even like a waste of time.
It’s been said that “life does not determine winners. Winners determine life.”2 Most true winners have “lost” at some point in life. They have been hurt and disappointed; they have experienced setbacks and sorrow, but they do not let these difficulties determine their destiny or define their lives. Instead, they strive to rise above their challenges and keep moving forward one day at a time. In fact, it is very often the defeats, just as much as the victories, that bring out the greatness in a true champion.
It’s been said that the little things are the big things. This applies to many aspects of life, but especially to the small courtesies, the little acts of kindness that end up making a big difference. Truly, from the small and simple comes that which is great. It happens when a seedling is nurtured and grows into a strong tree, and it happens when little kindnesses help people blossom and grow. It’s one of the most important ways we make a difference in the world.
There’s something about being on a mountain that helps us feel closer to God. That’s been true since ancient times. It was on a mountaintop that Moses heard the Lord calling to him from a burning bush.[1] And when Jesus had a special spiritual experience to share with Peter, James, and John, He led them up a mountain.[2]
More than 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ called His apostles to share the glad tidings of His gospel. Their ministry brought joy to people’s hearts. Their teaching instilled hope and fostered peace.