ONE-NESS OR OWN-NESS

Ironically, one of the first words Kathleen learned in Spanish when we went to Colombia on our mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was ‘mio’ (mine). I say ironically because generally speaking the people of Colombia are a generous and sharing lot.

We had just landed in Bogota, Colombia and had gone through customs when we almost ran into a little boy who was and playing tug-of-war with a sibling over a toy. As he insisted over and over again the toy was ‘mio,’ Kathleen had no need to have me interpret what he had said.

When Moses was writing about the attributes of a Zion people, he made it clear that they could not exist unless they were of ‘one heart and one mind.’ (Pearl of Great Price, Moses 7:18)

If we take the words of the Lord seriously as they are recorded in Matthew 6:24, it seems clear that one of the abilities we do not have is that of serving two masters. The point is emphasized by saying we will hate the one while loving the other, but a homogeneous totally emerged, assimilated together relationship cannot exist.

If we accept the teachings of Moses and the Savior as having validity, then we immediately come to the conclusion that oneness and own-ness (mio) cannot be given priority in our lives simultaneously. I will either love one-ness and hate own-ness or love own-ness and hate oneness, but I cannot love or hate both at the same time.

Perhaps the words of the Savior in John 17:11 will help us to have a beginning of an understanding of what Moses was trying to teach us when he said we must be of one heart and one mind. The Savior’s admonition was that we become one as He and The Father are one.

Evidently, they shared so much one-ness the Savior taught that if we had seen or heard Him, we had seen and heard the Father. This declaration of their commonality has caused some to conclude that indeed they were the same person. He clears up this confusion later in the 17th chapter of John verses 20 - 26
when He informs us that he will soon go to Father who had sent Him.

It seems the Apostle Paul understood clearly the one-ness which The Son and The Father shared, because in many of the letters he wrote we find extensive lists of those characteristics and attributes.

Romans 12

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

1 Corinthians 13

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

If these two lists don't offer you a sufficient challenge, additional lists of the characteristics and attributes of one-ness can be found in Paul’s letters to the Ephesians 4, 5, 6 and Colossians 3:1 - 17 and Hebrews 13. I am sure you have your own scriptures or can look them up on the internet, so I won’t duplicate them in this Thought.

Anyway, I remind you of the Thought I wrote at the first of the year where I was haranguing about how those who developed our calendars would have done a better job if they had started the year in the spring time, so that our resolutions for renewing our commitments to do better would coincide with the bursting forth of life in nature.

Anyway, since most of those late December, early January lists have now either been discarded, lost or ignored, maybe now that we are a month into watching nature revive and renew, we could use some of the admonitions of Paul to resolve to increase our love of one-ness and distain for own-ness. Anyway, that is the desire I have in my (mio) heart today and hopefully for all my tomorrows.