The Book of Ten Sayings 4

The fourth timeless truth in the Book of Ten Sayings is one that our impatient and fearful age needs to meditate on. The fourth saying:

This too shall pass. 

 

 The traditional story is that an ancient Persian king once ordered his wise men to invent a saying that would be true and applicable to every time and in every season, a saying that would comfort him in times of sorrow and temper him in times of joy, a saying upon which he could meditate profitably regardless of his situation, or what he faced, or how he felt. The saying they brought him was, "This too shall pass."

 

Sometimes quoted as, "This, too, shall pass away," the meaning is the same: We live a life of fixed, limited duration. The only things of permanence are the lasting effects we have on those around us. We die and pass away, and move to another realm where our attention is exclusive, giving us no time to look back to earthly life to give warning or direction. But if instead we seized our hours and minutes while here and employed them to help others live better lives, enjoy their time here, find meaning in life, come to know God, and for the ultimate benefit, find the Savior to take them with the rest of us into the heavenly realms, then we will have led a life that sneers in the face of evil and transitoriness. It would be a life worth living, however long or short. 

 

 So, "This too shall pass" is both a warning and a promise. Understanding this truth allows us to see it as the match that can light the candle of hope, set ablaze the torch of endurance, and illuminate the beacon of patience. If only people would pay attention and remind themselves of this bit of wisdom and allow themselves to be cautioned by it and show a little patience, how many ships would have been spared from sinking among the rocks of haste, the insistent pinch-in-the-shoe of eagerness, the and out-of-fuel crash of going for broke (or rather, going for self-termination) by accident? 

 

 This is another one of those two-edged proverbs that can cut both ways, possessing meaning in multiple directions. As focused on and explicated in the notes above, the saying is indeed an encouragement to persevere in the face of challenge. But sometimes extended physical suffering or psychological trauma or chronic painful physical suffering or emotional rejection can force a person to call upon this wise summary of humanity and be reinvigorated.

 

 Finally, "This too shall pass" serves us just as well when, in the middle of joy and celebration and love and adventure, we remember that the experience will soon be over and we will return to our previous lives. No, it does no good to yell at he conductor, "Make it stop!" when we feel the ride slowing down when we want it to go on forever. Are you winning? Are you losing? Are you happy? Are you sad? This too shall pass. Implied in this saying is the Christian virtue of Hope, one of the Seven Classical Virtues.

Posted by Robert Harris at 5:40 PM No comments: