My Balsamic Vinaigrette

I've been working towards completing a degree in Organizational Behavior/Human Resources in the Business program at BYU for the past four years and in recent years I've really struggled to feel invested in my education. I've taken mostly classes with large lectures where I've felt lost in the crowd of other business majors and the lack of accountability and intimacy in that impersonal environment has made it really challenging for me to engage. Not to mention most of the courses I've taken I don't have a particular interest in besides my major-related courses. Luckily I felt very engaged in work at the Business Career Center and in Vocal Point, both of which greatly supplemented my educational experience. Here in Jerusalem there's no Vocal Point, no job. But I feel so engaged in my learning!!!

I know today was only the first day of class but still, I felt something I haven't felt for a really long time - an overwhelming desire to LEARN! I just ate it all up. The education I'm anticipating this semester feels so relevant. I mean, when my Old Testament teacher can point out the classroom window at the mount where Isaac was almost sacrificed by Abraham, it's hard not to feel connected to that story. 

And I've been hearing my whole life about the religious and political conflicts in Israel that have happened for millennia and continue to happen today and now I finally feel like I will learn how they have shaped the world and affect me personally. I've never had a desire to really understand it all until now. I also know that what I'll be learning in a spiritual context has the potential to shape the rest of my life. 

I took a world religions course a year ago that completely changed my perspective on the Mormon faith and religion in general. I realized how important it was for me and really every member of the church to gain an understanding and SINCERE appreciation and respect for others' beliefs. We often have the Texas Syndrome and think our religion is bigger and better than everyone else's and we fail to recognize the goodness and often greater sincerity and devotion of believers from others' faiths. One of the things I really wanted to gain from this experience was an even greater love and appreciation for the various Jewish, Islamic, and Christian denominations and their customs and beliefs. 

I've been working on an analogy to explain the perspective I've gained on how to allow other religions to supplement my belief system. Imagine a small jar of olive oil which represents my Mormon beliefs and background. I can keep adding more oil to my jar, gaining in knowledge and testimony. Next to my jar of oil is a jar of balsamic vinegar (my favorite) which represents all other religions or denominations, which I can also add to. 

While at first it may not seem necessary to add my precious olive oil to the apparently bitter vinegar, anyone who loves a good salad knows that just oil is a poor salad dressing. It'd be much better to add the olive oil and balsamic vinegar together, mix it up, and pour it over my salad. Too much oil and not enough vinegar makes a pretty bland dressing. Too much vinegar and not enough oil? Way too bitter. Though very different in taste and property, these two liquids when mixed together in a proper ratio create a rich dining experience. Then watch afterwards as the olive oil rises to the top of the jar, supported completely by the vinegar. 

I don't feel threatened by others' beliefs nor do I feel that if I seek to understand them I am compromising or weakening my testimony in any way. I'm just mixing them with my own beliefs in order to see the world as it truly is. In fact, as I understand other religions and integrate that understanding into my life, I feel very strongly that I am moving towards a more sincere and accepting way of living the gospel. Add some Dijon mustard and pesto and I have the makings of a delicious balsamic vinaigrette to put over my life salad - I'll let you decide what the mustard and pesto represent :)