Everyone Has a Place in the Choir: The Need to Balance Societal Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland gave a talk this weekend that was very timely and profound. His theme was about everyone having a place in the choir.

“There is room for those who speak different languages, celebrate diverse cultures and live in a host of locations. There is room for the single, the married, for large families and for the childless. There is room for those who once had questions regarding their faith and room for those who still do. There is room for those with differing sexual attractions.

“In short, there is a place for everyone who loves God and honors His commandments as the inviolable measuring rod for personal behavior, for if love of God is the melody of our shared song, surely our common quest to obey Him is the indispensable harmony in it.”

Being the geography nerd that I am, I made a connection to a concept that I teach my students. The concept is that in order for a country to have peace and prosperity, there must be a balance between centripetal and centrifugal forces.

In physics, a centripetal force is one that pushes an object to the center. An example is a skier making a turn (or any kind of turn). The act of shifting the weight onto the outside edge forces the energy to the center as if on a rope tied to a pole. In society a centripetal force is one that unifies and binds us together. It could be speaking the same language or anything else you have in common with others. Most often centripetal forces are values and beliefs you have in common with others such as those that come from sharing a common culture or religion. The problem with a centripetal force is that people (especially weak people) tend to feel that their values are the only right ones and those with alternative points of view or behaviors are seen as a threat. That is why we got the racism of the holocaust and the discrimination of Native Americans, African Americans, Irish, Italians, Hispanics and basically anyone who wasn’t a white anglo-saxon protestant.

You can imagine that a centrifugal force is the opposite. It is a force, like the spin cycle of a washing machine where the water is forced from the clothes by the spinning motion of the barrel. Centrifugal forces in society are freedom of speech and other forms of free expression. It is a creative force that can seem chaotic. Left alone it can produce anarchy and violent resistance such as those we witnessed in the revolutions of the Arab Spring or French Revolution. When counter-balanced with centripetal forces, however, the kind of balance represented by the two part Tai-Ji diagram or yin-yang symbol can be achieved; that is harmony and peace. That is why we need both forces working in tandem. One provides structure and stability while the other provides flexibility and fluidity. In our personal lives we have obedience to general rules, laws and commandments that act as centripetal forces. On the other hand we have personal revelation that is tailored specifically for you and your specific situation. Elder Holland’s talk was great because it was a balance of centripetal and centrifugal forces. He didn’t compromise the standards but he also acknowledged the unique differences and qualities that we each possess. 

“When we disparage our uniqueness or try to conform to fictitious stereotypes — stereotypes driven by an insatiable consumer culture and idealized beyond any possible realization by social media — we lose the richness of tone and timbre that God intended when He created a world of diversity.”

The apostle Paul said as much in 1 Corinthians 12: 14-31. “And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body…..Now ye are the body of Christ but members in particular. I know that for some that have left the church, the church’s efforts to be more inclusive and transparent still fall short. My question for them would be, “the church is either true or it is not true. If it was true but it isn’t anymore, at what point did it stop being true?

God will not violate human agency. He works with us within the historical, cultural and social context that we live. The church as an institution is more open, transparent and accepting than it ever has been. While I have questions that are not reconciled yet, I know that I am much better off by trying to manage this delicate balance between the stability of obedience and fluidity of revelation by being in the church. I don’t want to throw the proverbial baby out with the bathwater.

Elder Dieter F. Uchdorf hit the nail on the head with his talk the following Sunday morning. When we react in fear we tip the balance to either one side or the other. The only way to strike the balance is through love. That it is why it is so important to keep our focus on Jesus Christ. He is the only one who had perfect balance. His balance was perfect because his love was perfect. I know that as I walk the tight rope of life, I am, more often than not, off balance. As I strive to “love my neighbor” (using Jesus’ broad definition), I am better able to keep my balance. I have to strive to keep the standards while staying open and accepting of those who do not share those standards.