Richard and I watched a movie called Invictus on Saturday. It was an interesting choice for us. It was about the South African Rugby team and Nelson Mandela’s early presidency. It followed President Mandela’s efforts to unite his country, divided by hatred and mistrust. Mandela devotes a lot of energy furthering the interests of the Rugby team. He saw that this team could help unite his country.
My favorite scene takes place at Mandela’s home and his adult daughter shares her hatred and mistrust for the Afrikaners, as they were the ones who had imprisoned her father. He tells her that it is a selfish thing to look at the world and judge it through the lens of her own pain. In other words, she needed to forgive. She needed to open her mind and heart; she needed to look through a different kind of lens.
A lot of people have been saying what a terrible place Arizona has become. A lot of people want to blame someone for the shooting. An associate of mine is seething in anger towards anyone who listens to conservative talk radio personalities (one in particular). It is unfortunate that this person is choosing to look at the situation solely through the lens of her own pain, distancing herself from people who could be her friends, despite political differences.
I have chosen to not be discouraged about the whole world, based on the horrific shooting on Saturday. Timothy was baptized at the time this horrible event took place. I was surrounded by people who came to support our family. We had neighbors, friends, and ward members all around us. I felt surrounded by love. The day before, a friend listened with patience and understanding to me. The day before this, a friend unselfishly came to our house to watch Mark while the older kids were at piano lessons so Richard and I could go to the play. On Wednesday, I saw parents, my bishop, and many scout leaders join together to help the little Cub Scouts make their pinewood derby cars.
These people do what Christ would do if He were here. They minister to me and my family.
Every day I am surrounded by my children. Their innocence gives me a hopeful perspective on the world. I see that my parenting and love is more powerful than the hatred of the world in their lives. This hope and perspective allows me to see that the Lord still intervenes, helping us to weather the troubles and see the world for its goodness, despite everything else.
See the trailer for Invictus here.