Reflections on Christ in the Temple

 For the first time in over a year . . .

. . . I was able to go inside a temple today.  The pandemic closed our local temple (and many others) last March, and someone apparently decided the shutdown was a good time for renovations. I recently heard that volunteers are needed to make sure only authorized workers come in the doors, so I signed up for a shift this morning.  I wanted to be helpful, but I also really wanted to go inside the Lord's house again.  Although it was strange to find the temple's beautiful interior transformed into a noisy construction zone, that sacred building was still a wonderfully uplifting place to be.

One of the stations I was assigned to didn't have many people coming through, so I spent most of my time reading Church magazines someone had provided.  This touching article suggested that when Christ told Peter where to cast his net to catch a huge haul of fish, His goal may have been partly to demonstrate His divinity to His future apostles, and partly to provide for their families while Peter, James, and John left their livelihoods and devoted their lives to His service.  That seems like the sort of thing our compassionate Savior would do.

I also loved seeing this picture.  It's one of my dad's favorites, mainly because he liked examining the expressions on people's faces as they looked at Jesus.  The middle-aged people approach hesitantly, with a mixture of hope and doubt.  Can He forgive them? Will they see a deceased loved one again?  Does He have answers for their burning questions?  The elderly people in the foreground have already learned to find answers, comfort, and peace in Him.  The child in the picture is too young to have questions or cares; he simply peers guilelessly at you, wondering what you think of Christ, and what you plan to do about it.