Sabbath Devotional: New Futures of Hope Through the Infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ

Recently, in my personal life, I have experienced heartbreak on behalf of a child. Outside circumstances, the actions of others, and a lackluster response from adults who should have been compassionate mentors have wounded this child of mine. For weeks, I coached, counseled, and listened to the slow—then steady—spiral my child was experiencing, while asking others in leadership positions for help and options. And I felt let down at every turn, on behalf of my child.

Heartbreak is powerless. It is all-encompassing. It is deeply unjust. Having to be a witness to this level of suffering wounds the souls of all who participate in the supportive mourning.

Over the past months of rapid structural change in the political sphere, I have also experienced deep heartbreak. I have felt betrayed by elected leaders. My institutional trust is low. Being a part of several communities asking to be heard—writing to bear witness and speaking out for compassion—has also hurt my heart and dampened the fire of my passion to be part of meaningful change.

At this intersection of heartbreak and stress, I found myself on a walk, scrolling for something—anything—to listen to that might calm my heart and bring peace. A recent address on the topic of true wisdom caught my eye, and I pressed play. As I walked, somewhat distracted, Elder Gerrit W. Gong spoke about the advantages and disadvantages of AI, and how to wisely discern what is true from what is manufactured.

And then this shook and sparked my soul:

“Jesus Christ prepares a way for us to escape some elements of the past. His great and last sacrifice, His infinite and eternal Atonement, overcomes the monster of death in hell, physical death of the body, and spiritual death or a separation of the soul from God and each other. Instead of being held captive to old pasts, His Atonement can free us to new futures.”

This is what I needed to anchor myself to—both for my aching heart on behalf of my child and for my angry heart on behalf of my fellow man. Christ’s Atonement is where true, wise, compassionate healing takes place. And this healing doesn’t erase the heartbreak; it transforms that heartbreak into hope. The Infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ is where determination, advocacy, and love are forged.

“Let Israel hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption.” —Psalm 130:7

I know that big, broad statements about something greater than the universe—or time or human understanding—can settle poorly on a heart and mind craving present action (or maybe even revenge?). I also know that negative emotions take up much more space in the heart and mind than positive ones. I’ve read an essay by Chad Ford a handful of times that reminds me of the self-power involved in putting stones down, and the grace involved in asking Christ to help roll stones away from us.

This is a huge leap into humility—even just a desire to experience glimpses of compassion and love for perceived enemies, or to consider solutions outside our biased vision. It means accepting justice that does not arrive on our timeline. Christ’s Atonement can help with all of this.

My heart still hurts, but as I have brought this pain to Christ through prayer (sometimes angry, yelling prayer!), I have felt the miraculous infusion of hope directing my next steps. I am lighter, empowered by love, and moving into spaces of light-directed action. Channeling my frustrations into thoughtful, big-picture steps—like writing a researched letter to a politician instead of a condescending rant; or asking questions and offering solutions for my child instead of pointing out a leader’s character flaws—has felt truly empowering, instead of temporarily satisfying.

The dark glass vision that is inherent in the human experience has had moments of brilliant clarity as I have invited Christ to walk this trip-hazard-strewn path with me. The Atonement of Christ truly does cover all things—and uncovers our lidded hearts, allowing us to experience the expansive brightness that is all around us.

Citations:

Chad Ford’s essay: Seventy Times Seven

Picture credit: My own image, taken at the tail end of sunset on Maui this past winter.

Sidenote: sunsets on Maui are also incredibly healing and hope infusing!

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Liz Maravilla is the director of operations at Mormon Women for Ethical Government.