We often say that we are in a “fallen” world. This is true spiritually, but it is also true literally. The Earth orbits around the Sun. Any body that is in orbit, the Earth around the Sun, the Moon or other satellites around the Earth, is in a constant state of free fall. If it weren’t for the fact that massive objects like the Sun warp the space around them, the Earth would fall right into the sun, but it instead falls along a curved path around the Sun, which we call orbits. Bear with me on the nerdy science stuff just a little longer, I promise that I have a point. Because the Sun and the Earth both have their own gravitational fields, there exist certain points between the Earth and the Sun, called Lagrange points, where the gravity from the Sun perfectly cancels out the gravity from the Earth. If we send a satellite to one of these Lagrange points, like, for example, the relatively new James Webb Telescope that’s been taking all of those cool pictures lately, then that Satellite can stay in that little island of stability instead of having to make trip after trip around the world just to get back to the same spot. Objects at a Lagrange point are still technically in an orbit, still technically falling, but they have to spend very little energy to maintain their position. There is a phrase we use in the church that’s loosely adapted from Jesus Christ’s last sermon to His disciples before His death in John 14-17 - “to be in the world, but not of the world.” What the Savior invites us to do is to come to one of these Lagrange points - to a place that is perfectly balanced between the light and love of the Son, and the pull and cares of the world. When we can find our way to one of these Lagrange points, we can “abide in His love.” We can stay in this stable orbit, constantly circling in a tight orbit around making small errors and then immediately recognizing our mistakes and seeking forgiveness, back and forth, back and forth. When we can find that balance between the Son and the world we can be in the world but not of the world. We can follow the example of the Savior and eat with publicans and sinners without giving way to temptation, condemning not but also urging to go and sin no more. At the Lagrange point we are free to follow the promptings of the Spirit wherever they lead us, even if letting our light shine and being in the world looks different than we imagined. I know that a lot of us get lost in these long, winding orbits, corkscrewing between being in and out of the world, and being of the world and not, making big mistakes and then trying to force our way too quickly into forgiveness and a remission of our sins, trying to find happiness in wickedness, or finding frustration and sadness in our attempts to be righteous. We may see the light of the sun for a moment and then get lost on the dark side of the world for a long time, and then glimpse the light again, and then fall back into the darkness. But if we put our faith in the Lord and listen to the promptings of the Spirit, He will guide us to the Lagrange points, to being perfectly balanced between being in the world but not of the world, so that we can abide in the love of the Lord and have the Holy Ghost as our constant companion, and fall in a perfectly stable orbit, always having the Son and the world before us so that we may love one another as He has loved us.
