Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house, when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

[Excerpted from “Discover Divine Mystery” by Katie Harmon-McLaughlin, Sept/Oct 2019 Herald, pp. 11–12]

Every religious tradition has a creation story. From chaos, darkness, and uncertainty comes the creative power of beginnings.

The story that science is discovering about our evolving universe highlights the same truths found in these profound stories. From the darkness, an explosion of light and life…the emergence of simple and then increasingly complex organisms…growing, continuing, evolving, forming.

It repeats itself in scripture. Where will we go? What will we do? Who will we become? Again and again, a way is made, a revelation is received, a purpose is revealed, courage is stoked, a discovery opens the path forward.

My first encounters with the Sacred were glimpses of a loving mystery that enlivened within me as I watched sparks from a fire drift into the canopy of stars above. As a teenager, I would come home from hanging out with friends and pause before I entered the house to look up and absorb the beauty of the night sky.

It felt as if I was being held by vastness. Into the unfathomable depths of night, there was enough space for my questions, longings, concerns, and dreams. “Who will I become?” I would ask into the stars…wondering how my life would unfold, noticing the stirrings of the sacred coming to life in my soul.

The creative Spirit is continually revealing a new thing in and through us. Divine revelation is never finished. And isn’t that the awesome way the mystery of God is expressed? Even now, every seemingly dark and empty space in us is accompanied by the presence of the Spirit hovering, pulsing, creating anew.

Breathe into every dark and unknown space, into everything that feels chaotic and uncertain. Bring your questions and concerns about the future. Bring your longings and your restless hope.

Open your heart to the awe and wonder that humbles us into freedom, joy, and belonging. Listen even now as the Spirit is creating in you, in us.

Prayer Phrase

“In his hand is the life of every living thing” (Job 12:10).

Trees

Watch the trees outside your window for a few moments. Close your eyes and meditate on Alma’s words about seeds and trees. If you were to plant and grow the Word of God in your heart, what tree might symbolically represent this process? Imagine a seed as it grows into a tree of life and blessing. Ask God to show you how to begin (see Alma 16:152–173).

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.