Jacob 1

(February 12, 2015)

                Krister Stendahl is credited with authoring Stendahl’s Three Rules of Religious Understanding.  The third of these rules is that we should always leave room in our hearts for ‘holy envy’ or the idea that we look to other religions for those aspects which they understand or practice that are, in fact, superior to our own.

                We in the Church should have no problem with this idea.  While it is true that the Church is the only Church on the Earth that holds the Priesthood Authority allowing valid saving ordinances to be performed (and the only Church with Priesthood leadership with stewardship to speak in the name of the Lord), we also readily admit that the Lord has spoken to all people on the Earth according to their understandings (our scriptures make that clear), and that there are elements of truth found in each of the religions that trace their origins back to the voice of the Lord (which is likely most of them).

                This thought came to me as I read Jacob speak of our need to view Christ’s death, suffer His cross, and bear the shame of the world.  We understand the necessity of doing this in the Church (perhaps more so than most), but at the same time I think our Church might be able to suffer a little holy envy for the understanding of some of the Christians that I grew up around.  It seems that they, from time to time, lived a life more in keeping with this requirement than we do in our faith.  Of all people on the Earth, we should be most Christ-centric, and we should be willing to suffer with gladness the shame of the world.  And yet, at times I find more of that in others than in myself.

                Of course in saying this, I am not justifying the silly attacks that we worship Joseph Smith or President Monson or believe that we will be saved by our works or any of the other ideas thrown against the Church by her enemies.  I merely note that, for myself, sometimes the structure of the Church for me becomes more important than the Christ-centered purpose of the Church and that is something that I feel holy envy for those who are able to avoid this particular weakness.  I long for an increased capacity to do all that I do (including my Church service) with an eye focused on His glory, His cross, and His death.