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.
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