Sabbath Devotional :: Harness the Power of Creation

“If there is anything lovely or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things” (Articles of Faith).

I’ve been thinking lately about the two driving forces in the world: the creative force and the destructive force. (We all know which eternal power represents which.)

I conduct the choirs at a Title 1 (low-income) school, and many of my students are subjected daily to destructive forces at home and within their communities. They have parents that tear them down, peers that tear them down — a whole world, in fact, that seems bent on breaking instead of building them. It has been remarkable, then, to watch these students join our choral community and to witness the effects of participation in something both creative and collaborative. Creativity combined with community can be profoundly healing. It has the power to pull us back from destructive downward spirals and point us in the direction of heaven.

One of the wonderful things about Mormon culture is the natural communities that arise from the structure of the Church. No matter where you go in the world, you’re going to find a ward. Ideally, you’re also going to find people who share your basic values and welcome you with open arms. There *is* a danger, though: sometimes people can feel excluded when they think they fall outside of the preexisting communities that the Church has established. Church doctrine celebrates diversity, but Church culture doesn’t always align. Those with divergent political opinions or an unusual life trajectory can too easily feel disenfranchised.

The word “create” comes from the Latin “creo,” which means “to make grow.” My prayer is that we can all nurture and “grow” the love and understanding that are necessary for successful communities both inside and outside of the Church. We can choose to actively contribute to solutions rather than standing by passively or critically. (“We will not be complicit by being complacent.”) That’s what this God-given creative impulse drives us to do.

There is something vitally important about learning to harness the power of creation (whether it’s by producing a work of art or starting a family or building a strong community). Few experiences are more fulfilling than creating something from nothing. I am grateful, deeply grateful to all those who have sacrificed to create and contribute to MWEG. We represent a community that is actively confronting destructive forces in creative ways, and at that nexus of creativity and community, we discover our divine power.

Onward!