A Little Rumi for Sunday

 

photo credit: Richard Quick

Two Kinds of Intelligence - a poem by Rumi

“There are two kinds of intelligence: one acquired,

As a child in school memorizes facts and concepts

With such intelligence you rise in the world.

There is another kind of tablet, one

Already completed and preserved inside you.

This other intelligence does not turn yellow or stagnate.

It’s fluid, and it doesn’t move from outside to inside

Through the conduits of plumbing-learning.

This second knowing is a fountainhead

From within you, moving out.”

Why Am I Vaccinated?

photograph of a family in front of the fountain at 

The First Church of Christ, Science Mother Church in Boston. Getty Images

 Having never had a flu shot or any other preventative measure which is readily available to us in the 21st Century, I found it interesting that my decision to receive the Covid vaccine was made so easily. As a lifelong Christian Scientist, I’ve spent decades studying and remembering the truth of my Being. It is easy to know, intellectually, that I am created as the image of God; that as a spiritual being I am only living the illusion of materiality. The reason I’ve written more than 3,000 entries in this blog is my own personal attempt to understand these ideas and witness how daily living unfolds with this realization. So why am I vaccinated when my main goal in life is to accept the unreality of material life and understand the truth of my spiritual identity? The healing power of this way of thought involves seeing true substance in place of the illusion which bombards us at every moment. While I still strive to translate what I see into what I know, the constant flood of material evidence has become etched in my mind. In asking myself what the loving response is to these circumstances, the decision was to vaccinate, wear a mask, social distance, and pray for a deeper understanding. As when I had an amputation a few years back, this does not mean that I am giving up on divine metaphysics, but that circumstances are taking me higher than ever before. I pray and listen for answers, moment-by-moment, during these interesting times!

"Question: What is the scientific statement of being?
Answer: There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter. All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation, for God is All-in-all. Spirit is immortal Truth; matter is mortal error. Spirit is the real and eternal; matter is the unreal and temporal. Spirit is God, and man is His image and likeness. Therefore man is not material; he is spiritual." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 468:8-16

All Together Now

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

We have insisted on separating ourselves from each other by setting up divisions such as nationality, gender, and religion. It seems as though it should be simple to accept our unity as an idea of divine Mind. We all have a song to sing, and we are all  part of the grand symphony of life. To rejoice in being One with everyone, to live from love rather than fear and its imaginings, is to humbly accept the goodness we inherently are. I pray to turn away from the illusion of material problems as I wholeheartedly accept my function as a reflection of Spirit, seeing that image mirrored in everyone I meet.

"The world believes in many persons; but if God is personal, there is but one person, because there is but one God. His personality can only be reflected, not transmitted. God has countless ideas, and they all have one Principle and parentage. The only proper symbol of God as person is Mind’s infinite ideal" Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 517:15-20

Miracle = Primal Order

 

unknown photographer

I love this quote attributed to Albert Einstein: “There are only two ways to live your life: as though nothing is a miracle, or as if everything is a miracle.” Because of various religious teachings, most of us think of a miracle as divine power setting aside a material law, allowing something otherworldly or supernatural to occur. What if a miracle is simply a correction of our limiting beliefs, opening us to the divine Mind and the limitless Life which is our true heritage as a child of Love? By this remembrance, we heal our mind of separation, giving us a clarity of thought and sight which was before unknown. I am very grateful —

“The miracle introduces no disorder, but unfolds the primal order, establishing the Science of God’s unchangeable law. Spiritual evolution alone is worthy of the exercise of divine power.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 135:6-10

Trust Issues?

 

Grand Canyon

photo credit: The Lasater Family

Trust ​issues. These words used to be used only during a romantic break-up, but now it ​seems to be a national ​topic. ​Things we have learned to trust suddenly feel frightening — i.e., policemen, politicians, preachers. Sometimes we have a tough time trusting our friends and loved ones. I know people who speak in derogatory terms about their children and their spouses. What is this thing we think of as trust? Does it truly originate in someone else, or does it come from within ourselves? Perhaps we don’t trust others because we don’t trust ourselves, or do we not trust ourselves because we don’t trust others? It all seems terribly complicated​, so I’m questioning​ my beliefs and understanding surrounding trust: what it means, where it starts, where it ends. Perhaps it’s like love, and there is no beginning nor end, although​ there often appears to be a finite amount to ​be allocated. I suppose I’m looking at this from a material view and I should practice what I preach, looking beyond human feelings and fears into the infinite realm of Love. ​​Be gentle with yourselves when you become caught up in the drama of daily life. Turning to "higher ideals of life and its joys" (as quoted below) is where I want to live today. 

“My angels are exalted thoughts, appearing at the door of some sepulchre, in which human belief has buried its fondest earthly hopes. With white fingers they point upward to a new and glorified trust, to higher ideals of life and its joys.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 299:7-12

Expanding Consciousness Through Music

 

photo taken in Mexico

by Richard Quick

Music ​opens our ​mind to things we may have forgotten​,​ or​ ​perhaps​ have​ never  known. I love to sit with ​a ​symphony orchestra, opening my mind to only the music, until at some point I feel there is nothing else in the world. I recall Wayne Dyer talking about muscle testing using different items. ​Holding an organic banana ​near his heart ​allowed full strength in his son, whereas holding a CD of raucous music left him much weakened. ​We all enjoy music in many forms, and ​on multiple​ levels. Something we would ​like with friends at a party may not compare to the quiet strains of Bach, which take us deeper within ourselves prior to meditation or writing. Find the music which opens you to hearing the messages Life, Truth, and Love are offering you. Surround yourself with this river of salvation and see where it takes you!

“Mozart experienced more than he expressed. The rapture of his grandest symphonies was never heard. He was a musician beyond what the world knew.​ ​This was even more strikingly true of Beethoven, who was so long hopelessly deaf. Mental melodies and strains of sweetest music supersede conscious sound. Music is the rhythm of head and heart. Mortal mind is the harp of many strings, discoursing either discord or harmony according as the hand, which sweeps over it, is human or divine.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 213:19-29

We Are the Essence of Love

 

What is love? As a personal value, love changes and shifts. Friendships end over disagreements, marriages fall apart, societies struggle with how to remain cohesive while accepting those who think differently. In reality, Love is unchanging. This Love changes our material expectations and perceived shortcomings, when we allow it. There was a time when two people I care for did not get along with each other. Seeing them both as expressions of Love helped them to see themselves this way, too. Seeing myself as complete allows a shift to occur in the way I treat others — and myself. All problems, large and small, are symptoms of a basic misconception that we are fallen humans separated from Love. The understanding that we are Love, wholly and purely, starts a domino-effect process which inevitably includes everyone in this shift of thought, away from the unreal belief in what we think we are to the pure comprehension of our essence as Love.

“From Love and from the light and harmony which are the abode of Spirit, only reflections of good can come.”​ Mary Baker Eddy - ​Science & Health Page 280:4-7

I Want To Be Happy

photo credit: Aaron Springston

 I​ want to feel good. I want to be happy. Don't we all want these things? While feeling good and being happy may sometimes seem illusive, they are the product of the recognition of our true being as Love and the expression of it. When I'm feeling unhappy, I’ve found the way out is to do something for someone else. As the world is waking up to this, there are more writings concerning how we can continue to accept our enlightened state by realizing true consciousness. To share with others in this awakening is exciting! We are all doing it to some extent, aren't we? Look at the groups we are involved with in conversation: book clubs, spiritual meetings of various sorts, salons, chat rooms, virtual discussions, blogs -- the possibilities are endless! Every encounter I have with another, every thought I have, each and every one is shared with the universe. I vow to choose wisely, even when I think I’m talking to myself!

"It is essential to understand, instead of believe, what relates most nearly to the happiness of being. To seek Truth through belief in a human doctrine is not to understand the infinite." ​Mary Baker Eddy - ​Science & Health Page 285:32-4

Irreconcilable Differences?

 

photo credit: Arthur Bruno

It may seem as though we are all different. Our race, nationality, and teachings are said to combine to make us who we are. We supposedly have differences which are sometimes irreconcilable with others of our species. I am reminded of something Isaac Asimov said in one of his novels. I don't have the exact quote, but it was to the effect that we, as humans, would not realize our unity until life was discovered on another planet; then it could be us against them. This is the way it seems to be with human beings. Many of us are eager to let go of the beliefs which keep us shackled to this stagnant thought. Seeing everyone as reflections of God precludes thinking of others as different. Although it seems impossible that we could all live in this way, doing no harm to anyone or anything, always expressing Love in our actions and thoughts, it is not. This possibility is an actuality which we're seeing more clearly every day. Love and happiness are our realities, and this is seen clearly when the veil of material belief is lifted.

“Jesus aided in reconciling man to God by giving man a truer sense of Love, the divine Principle of Jesus’ teachings, and this truer sense of Love redeems man from the law of matter, sin, and death by the law of Spirit, — the law of divine Love.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 312:16-19

The Exquisite Harmony of Life

 

There’s an awesome BBC series entitled "Life", with David Attenborough as narrator. When viewing the perfection of all life blending together in exquisite harmony, I am inspired to be more in tune with this tapestry. Once again, we need only let loose the things we do by rote, leaving habitual behaviors where we found them, in order to open ourselves to new-old ideas and experience where that takes us. Today I shall ponder sustainable farms, organic and pure food, happy animals, pesticide-free vegetables! How wonderful to go to farmer's markets and actually talk to people who grow our food. In the last fifty years, the production of food has changed so drastically that most of our young people have no idea what they’re eating. And, in too many cases, we don't want to know. Every decision I make at the supermarket casts a vote for the process involved in its production. Every dollar I spend at a Farmer's Market also casts a vote. I don't really want to give my dollars to a corporation which manufactures food without Soul. I vote for food created with Love. I want everything I consume to be nurtured with Love. Releasing all guilt, I see that forgiveness is there for the realization of it, and a new world becomes visible. The New Earth has always been here, and now we're remembering and demonstrating that knowledge in a myriad of ways.

“Ask yourself: Am I living the life that approaches the supreme good?” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 496: 9-10

Legislating Morality

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

The Ten Commandments were created to tell people what is right and what is not. I prefer Jesus's two great commandments, love your neighbor and God, because when we look to Spirit to guide and govern every action, there is no need for a multitude of laws to tell us how to and how not to do everything. For instance, laws which attempt to tell us how to and how not to love. There's a television series called "Big Love" which takes a look into the everyday lives of Mormon polygamists. In the United States, polygamy is illegal. When we hear accounts of cruel men with 20 wives and 100 children, it seems this decree is just. But when the beauty of deep Love is illustrated in a multiple-marriage situation, it seems not only plausible but admirable. In any situation, love needn't be legislated, it must be truly expressed. We all know of situations where children, animals, all things living, are abused by others, and no law we make stops those horrors. We can't legislate morality, but the powers that be continue to try to do so. Each and every one of us has the ability to govern ourselves in a manner which blesses all the world. I realize it sounds simplistic, but maybe it shouldn't be so difficult to just be nice. Namaste, dear Ones...

“The serpent of God’s creating is neither subtle nor poisonous, but is a wise idea, charming in its adroitness, for Love’s ideas are subject to the Mind which forms them, — the power which changeth the serpent into a staff.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 514:4-9

Just The Way Things Ought To Be ...

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

Walking meditations, sitting meditations, music meditations, mantras, chants, drumming — Most of us practice some form of quieting the mind, some way of slipping into the gap between thoughts and experiencing inner knowing. The ability to visit this space at a moment's notice is integral in our ability to transcend the miasma of mortal, material thoughts which present themselves to us constantly. In many ways, we see the harmony evidenced by this way of living. I love people's reactions to synchronicities! When something happens in perfect concourse with another event, creating wonderful circumstances for everyone and everything involved, we call this synchronicity. As an example, I once had an appointment for a haircut. I forgot about this appointment until a day past its time. I e-mailed my haircutter, apologizing and asking for another appointment. She responded that when she started reading the note her heart dropped because she had forgotten to tell me she needed to cancel the appointment due to a family emergency in another state, and then her heart lifted again because I hadn’t been there to find out she wasn’t! How's that for synchronicity? Some people don't see this as anything other than pure chance. Others think of it as supernatural and want to avoid it or, alternatively, to seek its return. Some of us see it as a natural way of life when listening past the roaring of material beliefs to the spiritual voice of Truth. Whatever our mode of listening to Spirit, let's do it as much as possible, until we realize that's all there is.

“The effects of Christian Science are not so much seen as felt. It is the 'still, small voice' of Truth uttering itself. We are either turning away from this utterance, or we are listening to it and going up higher. Willingness to become as a little child and to leave the old for the new, renders thought receptive of the advanced idea. Gladness to leave the false landmarks and joy to see them disappear,--this disposition helps to precipitate the ultimate harmony. The purification of sense and self is a proof of progress. ‘Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.’” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 323:28-8

A Cell in the Universe

 

I heard an interesting analogy concerning the body's immune system and the world's ability to heal itself. Each and every one of us are a cell in the immune system of the universe. Every thought we think is either contributing to the unified health of our planet or the propagation of fear and terror. Every prayer, every meditation, every reaching out through inward listening is magnified exponentially. We have the power to change the world through ourselves. Every interaction brings us closer to a world of love or a world of fear. The Love which heals us personally spreads through the web of Oneness. In the same way that we take personal responsibility for ourselves, our health, our well-being, we can take responsibility for a return to Love. It DOES matter what we do and what we think. We never know when an interaction with someone will make the difference in that person's life which turns them away from reactive fear to healing Love. The Truth which corrects all errors in our mind is our ascension into heaven within. Never doubt that you matter, that you make a difference.  Allow silence and listening to guide you to being the change you want to see! 

"Immortal ideas, pure, perfect, and enduring, are transmitted by the divine Mind through divine Science, which corrects error with truth and demands spiritual thoughts, divine concepts, to the end that they may produce harmonious results." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 259: 27-31

What is Spiritual Healing?

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

When people ask me to pray for them, they most often think I will be asking God to help them. This could not be further from the truth. The prayer which I utilize affirms the reality of our Being, combined with a listening to hear what needs to be affirmed. It's not asking for a condition to be changed, but knowing that there is no condition in you as the One Mind’s reflection. Our mortal mind often insists that this material existence is the reality of our being, and any glimpse we may have of our spiritual perfection is but a mirage. The opposite of this scenario is true and our realization is what brings harmony. This is not a mind-over-matter type of healing. So when you ask me to pray for you, I'll never say or think anything similar to: Please, God, heal Mary's cold. But I will say, What do I need to know about this situation? This is what Jesus was telling us, and why his teachings were revolutionary. We are not material, we are spiritual. What is material existence anyway? Physicists have found it is 99-point-something percent empty space! So what keeps us in the shape we’re in, even though our cells are replaced constantly? Thought! And this is why I find the study and practice of divine Science fascinating.

“If we would open their prison doors for the sick, we must first learn to bind up the broken-hearted. If we would heal by the Spirit, we must not hide the talent of spiritual healing under the napkin of its form, nor bury the morale of Christian Science in the grave-clothes of its letter.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 295:5-15

Peace Through Forgiveness

 

unknown photographer

A sweet friend has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, which carries a prognosis of a few months to live. As usual, when these things happen to our friends, I am remembering the good times we’ve had, recalling all the lovely memories we have made. This dear woman was never happy. She found it impossible to let go of old hurts and resentments, making it impossible for her to go forward and carve out the life for herself she wanted so badly. My hope for today is that anyone who is feeling angry or hopeless can see their way past whatever is holding them in pain. Forgiveness is my wish for you today. May you have peace…

A Course in Miracles - Lesson 122

“What could you want forgiveness cannot give? Do you want peace? Forgiveness offers it. Do you want happiness, a quiet mind, a certainty of purpose, and a sense of worth and beauty that transcends the world? Do you want care and safety, and the warmth of sure protection always? Do you want a quietness that cannot be disturbed, a gentleness that never can be hurt, a deep, abiding comfort, and a rest so perfect it can never be upset?

All this forgiveness offers you, and more. It sparkles on your eyes as you awake, and gives you joy with which to meet the day. It soothes your forehead while you sleep, and rests upon your eyelids so you see no dreams of fear and evil, malice and attack. And when you wake again, it offers you another day of happiness and peace. All this forgiveness offers you, and more.”

Thought is Communication

 

I had an appointment today, so I grabbed a book to keep my brain on a higher plane while waiting. I took along Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements. The last words I read before heading back home were: “Gossip is blackmail at its very worst, because it is pure poison. We learned how to gossip by agreement. When we were children, we heard the adults around us gossiping all the time, openly giving their opinion about other people. They even had opinions about people they didn’t know. Emotional poison was transferred along with the opinions, and we learned this as the normal way to communicate.” Upon arriving back home and getting settled in, the first thing I saw when opening up Facebook was the above quote from David Hoffmeister: “Your thoughts are powerful, and any time you think of another person, you communicate. It’s like prayer … It is within your own thinking that you have all your relationships and communications.” In between seeing these two powerful statements, I delivered something to a housebound friend who often talks about people. As I write this, I realize how powerful our thoughts are and how relatively easy it is to fall into thinking badly of others. It is also possible to turn those thoughts around, seeing a person as the pure reflection of divine Love. With this purer sight, I realize they are doing the best they can, as am I. Namaste…

"Mortal mind sees what it believes as certainly as it believes what it sees. It feels, hears, and sees its own thoughts. Pictures are mentally formed before the artist can convey them to canvas. So is it with all material conceptions."
Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 86:29:1

Choosing to Feed Martin

This is an essay by my favorite author in my favorite news magazine. I have never put one on this blog, but it touched my heart deeply. The Christian Science Monitor - Robert Klose 

The immigration debate is political. My choice to feed Martín is not. - By Robert Klose

For the past couple of years I’ve been volunteering to help Guatemalan refugees who have made their way to, of all places, northern Maine. I translate, connect them with social services, negotiate difficulties their children are encountering in school, and generally help them adjust to an environment that couldn’t be more alien to them (think snow).

While this looks like good work, and I believe that it is, not everyone would agree. I was recently approached by someone who extolled the benefits of a southern border wall to stem the flow of the type of immigration that I, in this man’s opinion, was abetting. “You’re part of the problem,” he told me.

I don’t want to dismiss my detractor’s criticisms out of hand because, truth to tell, he’s not wrong. I acknowledge that there are immigration laws, and that, when people follow the law, things tend to run more smoothly. So why do I do what I do? Let me explain by way of example. The other day I took 17-year-old Martín to a thrift store so he could buy some warm winter clothing. Martín doesn’t speak English, and Spanish speakers are few and far between in my part of Maine, so he stayed very close to me. I told him that he could pick out anything he liked, but that he should prioritize a heavy coat and boots. When we got to the cashier he opened his wallet, but there was only $2 in it. I assured him that the clothing was my treat, and he beamed.

Once in the car, Martín told me more than I previously knew about his personal story: the long walk from Guatemala to Mexico, crossing the U.S. border, being detained, making his way to Maine with neither family nor friends for comfort and encouragement. As we drove along, his narrative unwound in a matter-of-fact fashion, begging neither sympathy nor approval. 

And then something happened that gave me pause.  

We were stopped at an intersection where a disheveled, middle-aged man was holding up a sign that read, “Homeless. Please help.” Martín intuited the man’s need and, turning to me, asked, “Does that man have a home?” I told Martín what the sign said and watched as he pulled out his wallet, extracted his $2 – all the money he had – and reached out the window to give it to the man.

In that moment of elucidation there was much that I suddenly understood. I still acknowledged that, at some level, the man who had told me I was part of the immigration problem was right. But I can’t get my head around that monumental issue that has stymied legislatures for years. In short, I can’t take care of everybody. But I could take care of the young man sitting next to me by providing him with warm clothing, just as he had, in small measure, taken care of the homeless man by handing him his last couple of bucks.

I think that, once I divorce politics from the better angels of my nature, the issue becomes clear: If somebody comes to my door and tells me he’s hungry, I would not first ask him if he was here legally, any more than I would ask an accident victim if he was wearing a seat belt. The only question that would matter in that case is, “Are you OK?”

Just as I was considering this, I paused in my ruminations to ask Martín if there was anything else I could do for him.

Always hesitant to inconvenience me, Martín pulled himself together and said, "I’m hungry."

And so I fed him."

Robert Klose - CS Monitor March 10, 2021

You Are Loved

 

image created by Randal Thompson

Eudora Welty ​said, We are the breakers of our own heart. Looking back at my life and ​seeing ​how often I broke my own heart, I'm ​certainly aware of what that means. ​I have a friend ​who ​has ​barricaded herself away from close relationships all her life. ​She didn't realize how many people cared for her until she went into the hospital. ​​She finds their kindness ​mind boggling! ​For the past 60 years, ​she ​had no clue she was well​-​loved​.​ My prayer for today is that we all open our eyes and see the love which is being expressed all around us. To those who help their neighbors, care for their friends, and steadfastly keep on loving the seeming-unlovable — Cheers!

“The poor suffering heart needs its rightful nutriment, such as peace, patience in tribulation, and a priceless sense of the dear Father’s loving-kindness.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 365:32-3

Recognizing Infinite Mind

 

Sandy Starbird's Clan

Today I am grateful for all the people I gather with who help me remember my true being as a reflection of divine Love. It's great to talk with others who recognize the images of Infinite Mind shining through the myths we have created for ourselves in daily life. More and more we are realizing truth, and recognizing what is simply habitual thinking, perpetuated by repetition. I’m often asked how we can know if thoughts are coming from the one Mind or from our mortal, limited thinking. I ask myself: Does this make my heart sing and my mind feel at peace? Does it bless all equally, along with me, or do I feel an uneasiness which I can't exactly pinpoint? Maybe there's a feeling of importance and superiority. These last two things are absolute indicators that thoughts are coming from my limiting sense of ego and not inner Truth.  Today I want to "Be with those who help [my] being." Rumi 

“Gratitude is much more than a verbal expression of thanks. Action expresses more gratitude than speech.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 3:24-27

Translating Pain Into Love

 

Late in the afternoon, I learned of two events which happened in our community. Although I do not know any of the people involved, I was struck hard with the horror of it all. Generally, when I hear of unfortunate events, I try to practice what I preach and look at the situation through the lens of spiritual reality. I take the situation and translate it from the material picture into its metaphysical interpretation. For instance, if someone has died, I turn from that misidentification of life and death and recognize the spiritual fact that energy can change form but never cease. But today, for whatever the reason, I kept having mental images of what must have taken place. I’m scheduled to play the organ for a noontime concert at Heart of Many Ways, and I found myself not wanting to do it. Then I heard the inner prompt to use it as a way to express my fear and translate it into Love. In a very short period, I had chosen a number of classical pieces which address my pain and re-identify it as a celebration of Life, Truth, and Love. The gratitude I feel for this way of thought is immense. Thank You, greatly …

"The understanding of Truth and Love, the Principle which works out the ends of eternal good and destroys both faith in evil and the practice of evil, leads to the discernment of the divine idea." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 561:1-4

The Infinitude of Love

 

photo credit: heather peters 

I’m reminded of a story a friend once told about a relative who had been married seven times. This man felt he was a failure at love for having been divorced numerous times, so he was very much surprised when an uncle told him it was a wonderful thing! "Why would you say that?", everyone wanted to know. The uncle said, "How wonderful that seven women have loved you enough to marry you!" This is an example of a slight shift in perception making a huge difference to everyone involved, don't you think? Seeing the world through Love shows us reality in a way which looks nothing like what we've become accustomed to viewing. A world of judgment and fear is not one which holds an interest for me.  I want nothing more than to see through Love, as Love, with Love.

“The intelligent individual idea, be it male or female, rising from the lesser to the greater, unfolds the infinitude of Love.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 508: 23-25

Have a Peaceful Day

photo credit: Aaron Springston

 

Wage Peace - a poem by Judyth Hill 

Wage peace with your breath.

Breathe in firemen and rubble,

breathe out whole buildings and flocks of red wing blackbirds.

Breathe in terrorists

and breathe out sleeping children and freshly mown fields.

Breathe in confusion and breathe out maple trees.

Breathe in the fallen and breathe out lifelong friendships intact.

Wage peace with your listening: hearing sirens, pray loud.

Remember your tools: flower seeds, clothes pins, clean rivers.

Make soup.

Play music, memorize the words for thank you in three languages.

Learn to knit, and make a hat.

Think of chaos as dancing raspberries,

imagine grief

as the outbreath of beauty or the gesture of fish.

Swim for the other side.

Wage peace.

Never has the world seemed so fresh and precious:

Have a cup of tea and rejoice.

Act as if armistice has already arrived.

Celebrate today.

By: Judyth Hill

Forgiven and Understood

 

art by J. Clement Wall

judyclementwall.com

"I can forgive but I'll never forget." How often have we heard those words? The realization that we're all doing the best we can in any given situation has been a freeing thought for me. Recognizing what is of value and what is valueless is a factor in forgiveness, also. Nothing is of value, if it's changeable and transient. ​True substance is that which does not change. Nothing else truly matters. I spoke with a distant relative who told me she was so sad that I “hadn’t had a chance to forgive my parents before they died”. I had to laugh, because no blame leaves nothing to forgive!

“The real world is the state of mind in which the only purpose of the world is seen to be forgiveness. Fear is not its goal, for the escape from guilt becomes its aim. The value of forgiveness is perceived and takes the place of idols, which are sought no longer, for their ‘gifts’ are not held dear. No rules are idly set, and no demands are made of anyone or anything to twist and fit into the dream of fear. Instead, there is a wish to understand all things created as they really are. And it is recognized that all things must be first forgiven, and then understood.” A Course in Miracles Chapter 30:V:1

Outside Our Comfort Zones

 I've been making it a point to hang out with people who are outside of my regular social circle. It’s easy to fall into the habit of establishing tribes who agree with our belief systems. We join churches because folks support us in our preconceived beliefs and further root us in those understandings. We may join a community choir for the love of singing, or a theater group to stretch our imagination. Many of the activities we participate in encourage our personal growth and foster new experiences; others may cause us to be more deeply set in our ways. I love to participate in pods which do neither. Finding a group of people whose beliefs and understandings are as vI’aried as our ages and clothing choices is a stimulating and freeing activity! This is one of the reasons I love a group of people who regularly play duplicate bridge in my area. My thoughts are stretched, challenged, and amused by these folks. Wishing everyone the openness and mental exercise this activity fosters!

“…sacrifice is nowhere and love is everywhere. For communication embraces everything, and in the peace it re-establishes, love comes of itself.” A Course in Miracles Chapter 15 XI:7

Corrective Learning

 ​

"Finding Their Voice"

sculpture by Ken Starbird

“Do what you will, but harm no one. What you give will be returned to you threefold. Fall in love whenever you can. “ These are words from an Alice Hoffman book I recently finished called Magic Lessons. Some of you may have read or seen the movie, Practical Magic. After this book she wrote two others tracing the ancestors of this family. In the latest, we go back to the 1600s in Salem, Massachusetts and witness the fear which colored the lives of people who killed things they didn’t understand. Whether it was brown-skinned people who lived off the land or black crows which seemed to mock them, these men killed for fun and ruled their women with an iron hand. The women who refused to follow their Bible-based so-called rules were done away with, and no one was able to stop the murders. But many free spirits continued to be visited by other women late at night, searching for healing herbs and spells to calm their men — or bring them the true love they desperately sought. Historical fiction allows us to witness the parallels with many of today’s surprising events. Human nature causes us to sink back to the depths of depravity and ignorance which would be laughable if it weren’t tragic. For this reason, we must continue the uncovering of our true Selves. We are divinely created and that is seen when it is acknowledged and embraced. The tipping point of human awakening is near. Don’t forget…

“Corrective learning always begins with the awakening of spirit, and the turning away from the belief in physical sight. This often entails fear, because you are afraid of what your spiritual sight will show you.” T-2.V.7:1-2

Unseparated Idea of God

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

You are the presence of God. Does this statement make you uneasy? Perhaps traditional theology has taught you that such an idea is sacrilege. Maybe you simply feel too inferior to accept yourself as Godlike. It's not so difficult to say that you are one with everything. We're happy to feel a connection with all things and often go on retreats and do workshops which help us feel this unity. But what does this thing called Oneness really mean? It could be taken wholly on a material basis, and you might say that we're all the same in our physical makeup of minerals and flesh, etc. You might be willing to go a step further and say we're all the same because God made us in Its image and likeness. Does it make you cringe to call God It rather than He? We're rather accustomed to anthropomorphizing God, making deity like us rather than the other way around. As we learn to accept and embrace our identity as the experience and expression of God, we learn we can proudly announce our goodness, our wholeness, even our perfection. This honors God and Its creation in a way that self-conscious deprecation or self-righteous pride cannot. What a beautiful day to explore what all this means in daily practice!

"God, without the image and likeness of Himself, would be a nonentity, or Mind unexpressed. He would be without a witness or proof of [Its] own nature. Spiritual man is the image or idea of God, an idea which cannot be lost nor separated from its divine Principle." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 303:25-30

Queen of the Sun

 

Photo credit: Kevin Wright

At this time of the year, I love revisiting a documentary called “Queen of the Sun". In this film about bees, we are told that pollen is materialized light. I love that, don't you? When thought of like this, it seems possible that we, too, are materialized light. We're also shown that the bee's light is freed through blocks of honeycomb, beautifully shared with all as sweet, beautiful honey. And yet again, the light is freed in the goodness of beeswax candles. The freeing of light is cumulative with the bees, and we can experience the same thing as we unshackle the light and peace and joy within ourselves. Another lesson from the bees is the importance of community. Watching them working together for a common cause is uplifting and inspiring to me. It makes me want to join with my neighbors and do something important. But wait -- I'm doing that! What blesses one blesses all. My awakening to light and joy and peace is yours, too. Bees, people, trees -- as infinite ideas, we're all in this together!

“Light is a symbol of Mind, of Life, Truth, and Love, and not a vitalizing property of matter. Science reveals only one Mind, and this one shining by its own light and governing the universe, including man, in perfect harmony.." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 510:27-1

To Rant Or Not To Rant

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

On this day of celebrating freedom and independence, I pause to think how difficult it is to keep my mouth shut — and wonder when I should and should not do so! For instance, someone was talking about Dunkin’ Donut coffee pods and how much they like them. I nearly told them how horrid pods were for the environment, and ​also had a desire to rant about coffee production killing songbirds. Then someone was talking about television and I almost began a lecture on hypnotism and mind control by corporations. So ​here ​I sit and ponder where to draw the line on this one. If I saw someone torturing an animal (or other living creature), I would step in and stop them. If someone was dumping their waste into a river, I would speak up and attempt to do something to change it. But what if someone is looking at life from a different perspective than mine, even if I feel it to be harmful? Do I have the right to impose my ideas on them? I know I must walk the talk and change the world by changing myself, but sometimes it’s difficult to keep quiet! Happy Independence Day...

“Watch carefully and see what it is you are really asking for. Be very honest with yourself in this, for we must hide nothing from each other. If you will really try to do this, you have taken the first step toward preparing your mind for the Holy One to enter.” ACIM Chapter 4: III.8

Independence: Do You Have It?

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

On this day of celebrating independence, I pause to examine what self-imposed shackles may still be holding me in bondage. There could be many things which keep me from feeling peace, but I don’t think I’m going to concentrate on those today. The fears, worries, habits, and such will fall away when I am single-minded in what I truly want. Do I have goals which I have set for myself, limiting in and of themselves, or am I willing to open myself to Spirit’s guidance? A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson #185 tells us that if we really, truly want the peace of God, we will have it. I’m happy for this reminder to examine my motives! For instance, why am I writing this right now? Is it for accolades from others, or is it to learn how to be open to and learn from what comes through me? Good question! I hope this recognition will allow me to be willing to examine my actions and words, stepping aside and wanting only Peace. Now there’s something to celebrate!

"A few immortal sentences, breathing the omnipotence of divine justice, have been potent to break despotic fetters and abolish the whipping-post and slave market; but oppression neither went down in blood, nor did the breath of freedom come from the cannon’s mouth. Love is the liberator." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 225:16-22

Listening Comprehension

 

photo credit: Aaron Springston

Communications can be tricky. The practice of quieting the mind is integral to listening. I've found that when thought is jumping about, it's impossible to truly listen to anything. One thought leads to another, and before you know it, you've gone all around the world and have no idea what's happening right in front of you. By the same token, if I want to hear from the point of spiritual discernment, it's pretty darn hard to do if my own self won't be quiet long enough to concentrate on a simple sentence in a book. This is always a good indicator: If I can't read and digest what I've read, then I'd best have a "time out" and quiet my monkey mind from its busy-ness! What a peaceful, harmonious world this will be when we all take time to quiet self-importance and listen for Self-knowledge.

"The point for each one to decide is, whether it is mortal mind or immortal Mind that is causative. We should forsake the basis of matter for metaphysical Science and its divine Principle." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 195:11-14

Dwelling in Sadness - Or Not!

 

Crescent Hotel - Eureka Springs, AR

We all know people who seem to be chronically sad, don't we? They share a commonality of repeatedly replaying dismal and distressing events in their thought and conversation. I, too, have some gloomy memories which pop into my head occasionally. When this happens, there's a choice: I can relive the events mentally and/or verbally and thereby keep them alive, or I can acknowledge that they're still in my thoughts, but know that they are not the truth of my being. Yes, it happened (whatever it is). It's part of my material history, but my spiritual reality has not been touched by it. The peace brought by this understanding is priceless. I can be happy! Even in the midst of things which I may not think of as particularly joyful, I can give myself permission to be happy. It is, after all, my natural state of Being!

“Harmony is produced by its Principle, is controlled by it and abides with it. Divine Principle is the Life of man. Man’s happiness is not, therefore, at the disposal of physical sense.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 304:16-19