As we came to our building, where we hold our church meetings, I discovered that, once again, the elevator was our of order. With indignant fervor, I stomped those metal steps, my frustration echoing in the whole chamber.
So? What good did it accomplish? It was not right. They should have fixed that elevator, once and for all. So many people using this building deserve better.
Deserve? Right?
I have struggled my whole life trying to keep from losing the Spirit, and I know that it is I, myself, who am most to blame - not the unfair and unjust conditions around me.
We really see this a lot here in Germany as well, but it is not a national or cultural thing either. We get outraged at injustices around us. Not only that, it is essentially an addiction in many people to seek out, find and sound the alarm at the injustices around us. They are not hard to find.
With the advent of social media, it is even more pronounced. Sometimes I check my Facebook™ account and see much evidence of the unjust nature of the world around me. We even "like" those posts proclaiming the wrongs we see. Movies are full of vengeance - righting the wrongs of the world.
Is wanting to right wrongs "wrong?" Well, not really. The problem is that we enjoy that feeing of indignation. "That should never have happened." "What was he thinking?" "Can you believe what I just saw?" It really isn't that we are fixing these problems, we are exhilarated by the feeling of the sensational nature of these expressions. Making them known does not usually right the wrongs. If we can truly, personally, do something to correct a situation, that is laudable, however, most of the time it is much the same as the hen sending out her cry when something upsets her. It makes a lot of noise and is hard to ignore, but it doesn't solve any problems.
Don't get me wrong. There is much good we can do to right the wrongs of society. That is our duty. However, when we come to relish the feelings we get, we try to find wrongs and spend many hours looking for them. We are feeding an addiction of what we call "righteous Indignation" in our hearts.
When the hero in a movie finally wins, we rejoice - we do the fist pump and yell"yes!". That is wonderful! But it is also not a real accomplishment. When we yell at that idiot driver in the car who just cut us off, we feel that feeling in our hearts, but what sort of feeling is it?
That is what I struggle with.
I read Nephi's words a few years ago and saw his lament. Considering his serious difficulties he had with his brothers, including real dangers of losing his life, you would think that he had valid reason to complain and be angry and upset, but his words give us a true understanding of how damaging vengeful feelings can be:
27 And why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Yea, why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul? Why am I angry because of mine enemy?
28 Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul. (2 Nephi 4:27-28)
The real reason for caution when we are in our "fight for justice" is that we bring the wrong spirit into our souls in our outrage. As the Book of Mormon plainly states in numerous places, the spirit of contention is never productive to the welfare of our souls, or even to society.
How then can we work to right the wrongs we see so much around us? There is already too much anger in the world. This anger and the resulting influence of the "enemy of my soul" is the cause of the great suffering in the world. The work we do to improve our world comes not from outrage, or even what we call "righteous indignation." It comes through the working of the Holy Spirit. This spirit works in us, but usually not in the way of punishing or correcting injustices around us, but in bringing change within us, so that through us, we may have an effect for good in those around us. The key is that the change needs to be personal and internal.
In the last general conference, President Uchtdorf spoke to the priesthood (those of us who need the most help) helping us to see that it is ourselves that we need to examine. The talk is called "Is it I, Lord?" We should not be so quick to see failings in others, but look first to ourselves. He gives some great examples in stories. One of his statements is: "I’m not sure why we are able to diagnose and recommend remedies for other people’s ills so well, while we often have difficulty seeing our own." - President Uchtdorf, Priesthood session, October 2014.
True, there are just and good "causes" that we can support, but the greatest cause we can find is our own improvement, our own purity, our own love and patience towards others.
As we look around us; as we "share" messages of outrage in our timeline; as we raise our fists to the heavens demanding our rights and justice, we usually then allow the enemy to enter our souls rather than change these conditions. In the process, we change ourselves for the worse and destroy our own inner peace.
Let us be more of the mind to be patient, loving and "share" or "like" what is uplifting.
"If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things." - Article of Faith 13
I still find myself reacting to frustrations and getting upset over the wrongs I see. It is an ongoing process, but I hope I am doing better at finding the positive and keeping the spirit and building my own inner spiritual strength. One great blessing I have is my beautiful companion. As I find myself at the point of reacting and getting frustrated, just thinking of her stabilizing influence helps me to better see the proper perspective in life. (Sometimes it is more directly as a spoken reminder, when I am particularly dense.) I am glad for the help I receive - from her, and from the Lord.
May the Lord give us the power to rise above the tendency to be critical and judgmental. His is the power of Love.
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