“The Message, the Meaning, and the Multitude (excerpts),” New Era, Nov. 2019, 18–19.
The Message, the Meaning, and the Multitude (excerpts)
To set the stage for a discussion of the meaning of these twice-a-year gatherings, I invoke this scene from Luke’s New Testament account:
“It came to pass, that as [Jesus] was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:
“… Hearing [a] multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.
“… They told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.
“And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.”
Startled at his boldness, the crowd tried to silence the man, but “he cried so much the more,” it says. As a result of his persistence, he was brought to Jesus, who heard his faith-filled plea for the restoration of his sight and healed him [Luke 18:35–43; emphasis added]. …
As in our New Testament story, those blessed with sight will recognize that, in spite of everything else this conference tradition may offer us, it will mean little or nothing unless we find Jesus at the center of it all. To grasp the vision we are seeking, the healing that He promises, the significance we somehow know is here, we must cut through the commotion—joyful as it is—and fix our attention on Him. …
Sisters and brothers, through the incessant din and drumbeat of our day, may we strive to see Christ at the center of our lives, of our faith, and of our service. That is where true meaning lies.