Are You Aware?

I love BYU. It is hard to believe that within two short months, I will have finished my undergraduate studies! One of my favorite things at BYU is the weekly devotionals and forums. This last Tuesday I attended a forum address given by Dr. R. Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I found his message to be compelling and thought-provoking.

One of his major points was that secularism has found its way into our modern culture and is beginning to erode human dignity and human rights. I agree with Dr. Mohler, that without the belief that every person is a child of God, who deserves respect and certain rights, we begin to loose sight of the value of human life. Consequently, religious liberty is also being threatened as some seek to interfere with or question the fundamental right to worship God. On this matter Dr. Mohler encouraged believers of different faiths to stand together to protect the religious freedom of all people; for as he humorously put it, "I believe we will not go to heaven together, but we might well go to jail together."

As I headed to my next class after the forum, I walked among a throng of BYU students--this happens daily as there more than 30,000 students here. At one point I came to a bottleneck where students converged from 4 congested paths. To me it appeared as if there was a current, pulling students in various directions as they skillfully slipped past one another. It was difficult for me to make it through the crowd, as I was heading in a different direction than most, but I looked up at the people around me and I found a way through, because others took notice of my need and opened the way.

With Dr. Mohler's address still on my mind, I realized that this experience was somewhat like real life. We frequently come to a congested intersection where we could run into others or be pushed down a path against our will. However, if we take the time to look up and become aware of where others are headed, a spirit of concern ensues and we are able to help one another accomplish tasks that would be impossible on our own. This is the type of community that I think Dr. Mohler was encouraging, and one that we need to lead peaceful and prosperous lives.

To access Dr. Mohler's speech, go to http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=2166.