Charity 5/29/16 Farewell Address
In Israel, there are two prominent seas: the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee. If I were to show you a picture of the Sea of Galilee, you would see lush vegetation and an abundance of life, including birds and fish. If I were to show you a picture of the Dead Sea, you would see nothing but barren rock outcroppings coated in a thick layer of salt. The interesting thing is that these two seas are both fed by the same river, the Jordan. How can two seas fed by the same source be so vastly different?
The answer is that where the Sea of Galilee receives water at one end and expels it at the other, the Dead Sea receives water but has no outlet. It keeps it all within itself.
So it is with us. In order to facilitate a spiritually lush life, we must not only receive love, but give of it. We have a duty as children of God to, in the words of Christ, “love one another as I have loved you, that ye also love another. By this shall man know ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another”
Oft when we speak of charity, we automatically think “the pure love of Christ”. How often do we actually reflect on the phrase? True charity is so much more than we think.
When the New Testament was translated out the original Greek, much was lost in translation. Whereas the English language has only one word meaning love, in all its shapes and sizes, the Greek tongue has four.
The first is “storge”. Storge is defined as common or natural empathy, like that felt by parents for offspring. It is also known to express mere acceptance or tolerance, such as “loving the tyrant”.
The second is called “eros”. Eros is characterized by romantic love or passionate and intimate love.
The third is known as “philia”. Philia denotes affectionate regard and friendship, usually between equals. In scriptural context, it meant loyalty to friends (specifically, brotherly love).
The last is named “agape”, spelled the same way as the English word agape. It is a type of love associated with openness and goodwill towards another. Formally, the definition is “the love of God for man and the love of man for God”.
In this context, we may study John 21 and find new meaning.
John 21:15-17
(Read once, the read again replacing Christ’s love with “agape”, and Peter’s with “philia”)
This exchange leads me to believe that it is not glory, or perfection, or wisdom that is the single most definitive characteristic of Godliness, it is charity. God has a perfect love and so is perfect, and God is perfect and so has a perfect love. Each of his actions are dictated by that love. In essence, God is charity. Charity is not something you give, rather it is something you become. By very definition, as we strive to feel charity towards God and our fellow men, we progress in our journey of exaltation and Godhood. If we put ourselves in the place of Peter, the Savior is asking us not just if we love Him, but how we love Him.
What does the real life application of charity look like then? John 14:15 reads:
“If you love me, keep my commandments.”
Moroni 7 gives the most complete list of attributes to foster charity.
“And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”
Though I did not know it at the time I made it, my decision to serve a mission was an outward manifestation of my inward commitment to develop charity. I would like to share a poem my close friend Kawika, who is currently serving a mission, shared with me. It is a poem which I feel accurately portrays both sides of charity.
I had been in that hole for a very long time-
In the dark and the damp, in the cold and the slime.
The shaft was above me; I saw it quite clear,
But there's no way I could reach it from here.
I could not remember the world way up there,
So I lost every hope and gave in to despair.
I knew nothing but darkness, the floor, and the wall.
Then from off in the distance I heard someone call;
“Get up! Get ready! There's nothing the matter!
Take rocks and take sticks and build up a fine ladder!”
This was a thought that had not crossed my mind,
But I started to stack all the stones I could find.
When I ran out of stones, then old sticks were my goal,
For some way or another I'd climb from that hole.
I soon had a ladder that stood very tall,
And I thought, “I'll soon leave this place once and for all!”
I climbed up the ladder, but soon had to stop,
for my ladder stopped short, some ten feet from the top.
I went back down the ladder and felt all around,
But there were no more boulders nor sticks to be found.
I sat down in the darkness and started to cry.
I'd done all that I could do and I gave my best try.
But in spite of my work, in this hole I must die.
And all I could do was to sit and think, “Why?”
Was my ladder too short? Was my hole much too deep?
Then from way up on high came a voice: “Do not weep.”
And then faith, hope, and love entered into my chest.
As the voice calmly told me that I'd done my best.
He said, “ You have worked very hard, and your labor's been rough,
But the ladder you've built is at last tall enough.
So do not despair; there is reason to hope,
just climb up on your ladder; I'll throw down my rope.”
I climbed up my ladder, then climbed up the cord.
When I got to the top of it there stood the Lord.
I'd never been happier; my struggle was done.
I blinked in the brightness that came from the Son.
I fell to the ground as His feet I did kiss.
I cried, “Lord, can I ever repay Thee for this?”
He looked all about. There were holes in the ground,
They, and people inside, were seen all around.
There were thousands of holes that were damp, dark, and deep.
Then the Lord looked at me and He said, “feed my sheep,”
And He went on His way to save other lost souls,
So I got right to work, calling down to the holes,
“Get up! Get ready! There's nothing the matter!
Take rocks and take sticks and build up a fine ladder!”
It was now my calling to spread the good word,
the most glorious message that man ever heard:
That there is one who is coming to save one and all,
And we need to be ready when He gives the call.
He'll put us all out of the holes that we're in
And save all our souls from the cold death and from sin.
So do not lose faith; there is reason to hope:
Just climb up your ladder; He'll throw down His rope.
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” The single greatest act of charity in eternity was Christ’s sacrificing atonement. I have felt of his love. I have benefitted by it. Through it, I have been reborn into a disciple of Him. It is because of this great and glorious example of unconditional love and faith that I have determined to share this wonderful message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Though I have not met them yet, the people of Russia hold my heart and have my purest love.
I would urge each of you to ponder this message, and to determine a plan of action to demonstrate an increase in love for God and man. There is one thing I know to be true: when we are living the gospel and filled with the love of Christ, barriers are broken, hearts are softened, forgiveness is given, friendship is exchanged, and service is performed. We learn to love all of God’s children and see them as God sees them, in all their divine resplendence. I bear witness of these things...
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