Editor’s note: “The Spoken Word” is shared by Derrick Porter every Sunday during the weekly Tabernacle Choir broadcast from Temple Square. It will be sent on Sunday, January 18, 2026. This week is the 5,027th broadcast.
Sixteen hundred years ago, St. Augustine pondered a timeless question. “How do you decide who to help?” “Since you cannot do good to everyone, you must pay special attention to those who, by chance of time, place, and circumstances, have come into closer contact with you.” (St. Augustine, “On Christian Doctrine in Four Books,” Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 39) page, ccel.org/ccel/a/augustine/doctrine/cache/doctrine.pdf).
His advice is just as relevant today. Each of us has the opportunity, even the responsibility, to pay special attention to those with whom we come into contact.
Connection is a word we hear a lot today. But even though technology connects the world more closely than ever before, nothing can replace the value of one human being being aware and doing good for another.
In many ways, humans are like flowers. When a flower receives the right amount of light, air, and nutrients, it opens, blooms, and reveals its beauty. But without those favorable factors, they close their petals to protect themselves and hide their true beauty. Similarly, each of us needs the light, air, and nutrients of human love, friendship, acceptance, and belonging—nutrients that allow us to open, thrive, and fully blossom.
One of the ways we receive these nutrients, these warm feelings inside, is by offering them to others. The New Testament says: “Here we recognize the love of God, for he laid down his life for us, and we should lay down our lives for our brethren. If someone sees that he is in need, and closes his heart to mercy, how can the love of God dwell in him? My little children, let us not love in word or tongue, but in deed and in truth” (1 John). 3:16-18).
May each of us, as our beloved hymn urges, “become (our) brother’s keeper.” May we show our “kindness of heart” to those who are “invisible” and who are burdened with “sorrows,” that is, “those who are hurting” and “those who are weary.” (See “Lord, I Follow You,” Hymns, no. 220)
May the light of Jesus Christ shine brightly for others and may we do our part to help the flower of humanity heal and blossom in the areas of life that surround us. As we do so, we will find the light of God’s love growing within us. For Jesus Christ is a never-ending light, a light that will never be darkened (see Mosiah 16:9).
Tuning…
“Music & the Spoken Word” broadcasts are available on KSL-TV, KSL News Radio 1160AM/102.7FM, KSL.com, BYUtv, BYUradio, Dish and DirecTV, SiriusXM (Ch. 143), tabernaclechoir.org, youtube.com/TheTabernacleChoir, and Amazon Alexa (skills must be enabled). The program will be broadcast live on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Mountain Time on these stations. Find airing information by state and city at musicandthespokenword.com/viewers-listeners/airing-schedule.
