"At this table, everyone belongs."

  

At this table, everyone belongs. 
And there is always room for one more.

Dear Reader,

Many of us make judgments based upon our experiences and our unexamined thinking. From politics to the foods we eat, the natural man has likes and dislikes. I am no exception.

These preferences are not necessarily evil. Whether one enjoys coffee with cream and sugar or black is simply a matter of taste and, for the most part, has little effect upon the lives of those around us. Yet if we begin to determine another person's worth—or where they are welcome to sit in the restaurant—based upon how they drink their coffee, then I believe a line has been crossed.

This may seem like an obvious error in judgment, yet when the same logic is applied to nationality, skin color, lifestyle, religion, or even the alcoholic, we quickly discover how easily prejudice finds a home within the human heart. We would do well to remember that those who label others will, in time, find themselves labeled as well.

In his work Meditations, Marcus Aurelius wisely observed, "Whenever you are offended at someone's fault, turn to yourself and study your own failings." His counsel invites us to pause and examine our feelings toward another, ensuring that our thoughts and actions reflect a higher order of living and community.

Mosiah 3:19 provides similar guidance, inviting us to "put off the natural man." Likewise, Paul taught, "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2). Both passages remind us that spiritual growth is not merely learning new truths—it is allowing old assumptions to be replaced by greater light and understanding.

We are also reminded by the Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal" and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, among them "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Though imperfectly lived throughout history, these words continue to call us toward a more excellent way.

What began as a reflection on Henry David Thoreau's statement, "It is never too late to give up our prejudices," has become an invitation to consider one of the great themes found throughout scripture, philosophy, and spiritual literature: the transformation of the human heart.

It is a call to humility—the willingness to admit that we may have been wrong and, with God's help, become something better.

Perhaps the measure of our spiritual growth is not how long we have held our beliefs, but whether we are still willing to let God change them.

With that thought, may we remember that it is never too late to soften our hearts, widen our circle of compassion, and see one another as members of the same divine family.

Thanks for reading

🙏🏻🧘‍♂️💕🤗☮️