Holding the Space of Peace and Love

Photo credit: Richard Quick

In these writings, the function of holding the peace, or holding the space of love, or something along those lines, is often mentioned. Sometimes readers ask what that means and why I think it's necessary to do anything of the sort. I've been asking myself this question while people dear to me are having some tough decisions to make and are facing uncertainty in the midst of change. I have the deep feeling that it is my purpose to stake out a neutral space and hold it as an oasis of peace. Sometimes that space is invaded by fear or anger, but that doesn't mean it has been spoiled. The recognition that reflecting Love is our native state, and that other emotions are human diversions, is the way I reclaim this neutral, loving attitude, and hold it steady for any who wish to join in the peace. While I agree with those who tell me there is a spiritual solution to every problem, I am learning there never was a problem to begin with, and that this basic understanding is the solution. 

"You have no idea of the tremendous release and deep peace that comes from meeting yourself and your brothers totally without judgment. When you recognize what you are and what your brothers are, you will realize that judging them in any way is without meaning. In fact, their meaning is lost to you precisely because you are judging them. All uncertainty comes from the belief that you are under the coercion of judgment. You do not need judgment to organize your life, and you certainly do not need it to organize yourself. In the presence of knowledge all judgment is automatically suspended, and this is the process that enables recognition to replace perception." A Course in Miracles T.3.VI.3

Growth

"When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don’t blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce. Yet if we have problems with our friends or family, we [often] blame the other person. But if we know how to take care of them, they will grow well, like the lettuce. Blaming has no positive effect at all, nor does trying to persuade, using reason and argument. That is my experience. No blame, no reasoning, no argument, just understanding. If you understand, and you show that you understand, you can love, and the situation will change ~Thich Nhat Hanh

“Accept with gladness what you do not understand, and let it be explained to you as you perceive its purpose work in it to make it holy. You will find many opportunities to blame your brother for the ‘failure’ of your relationship, for it will seem at times to have no purpose. A sense of aimlessness will come to haunt you, and to remind you of all the ways you once sought for satisfaction and thought you found it. Forget not now the misery you really found, and do not breathe life into your failing ego. For your relationship has not been disrupted. It has been saved.” A Course in Miracles - T-17.V.8

“Teach them that their being is sustained by Spirit, not by matter, and that they find health, peace, and harmony in God, divine Love.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 416:32-2

Simple Joys

 

Today I visited with a sweet nonagenarian who is living in a full-care facility. She has taken a few falls and is very confused, along with having some hearing problems. She and I first met when I was organist for the Methodist congregation here in Eureka Springs. When the pandemic was upon us, she and her daughter (whom she lived with at the time) stayed in strict isolation, and they lived out in the woods. I began writing notes to her on a regular basis, sent by snail mail, and she responded with delight. On my visit with her today, she told me fantastical tales of her youth, and her life when living in California. I don’t know what was true and what was fantasy, and the great thing is it doesn’t matter! She enjoyed telling me and I enjoyed hearing her do it! She asked me numerous questions, such as: What was the best day of your life? Do you have enough money? How is your nutrition? (Direct quotes here) I took her a cookie from one of our local cookie makers. I have never seen anyone so happy over a cookie!! It takes very little to bring joy into another’s life, and it brought me joy to watch her. She caused me to think of things I had not considered. And I am grateful …

“Love never loses sight of loveliness. Its halo rests upon its object. One marvels that a friend can ever seem less than beautiful. Men and women of riper years and larger lessons ought to ripen into health and immortality, instead of lapsing into darkness or gloom.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 249:3-7

⁶Even at the level of the most casual encounter, it is possible for two people to lose sight of separate interests, if only for a moment. ⁷That moment will be enough. ⁸Salvation has come.” A Course in Miracles - M-3.2:6-8

Making Sense of Things

“Discovery and Revelation: Religion, Science, and Making Sense of Things” is a new exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum of American History. In this relatively small space, they examine the intersections of religion and science in American culture. Three prompting questions frame the exhibit: “What does it mean to be human? What do we owe each other? What is our place in the universe?” You will find the Apollo 8 flight manual and Charles Darwin’s 1860 book, “On the Origin of Species”. It is meant to spur on some thinking! Reading about it certainly got me to thinking. I did not know there was something called Thomas Jefferson’s Bible, one in which he had excised all references to Jesus’ healings and metaphysical teachings. There is a portrait of Henrietta Lacks, the woman whose cells were used after her death, without her or her family’s permission. Corporations have made billions of dollars from these cells, with nothing benefiting her family. In the portrait she is holding a Bible and the question is asked: What do we owe each other? The purpose of this exhibit and its fascinating items and facts is not to answer any questions, but to cause us to ask some of ourselves and our beliefs. In the center of the exhibit there are eight figures with the question,” Can religion be scientific?” Of course, the discoverer of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, is one of those eight. I look forward to finding more information on this!

“Jesus established what he said by demonstration, thus making his acts of higher importance than his words. He proved what he taught. This is the Science of Christianity. Jesus proved the Principle, which heals the sick and casts our error, to be divine.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 473:26-31

Lions and Lambs and Humans — oh my!

 

Unknown photo source

In this lifetime, I’ve learned quite a bit from and about animals. When I was young, the general attitude was that only humans had “souls”. Perhaps this was started to justify our treatment of them. I’m not sure. Maybe it was simply an innocent mistake. It was also taught in subtle and obvious ways that cats and dogs didn’t get along; that they were natural enemies, if you will. I think we’ve all seen animal friendships which transcend these antiquated ideas! One of the most powerful moments I’ve witnessed was my house cat touching noses with a deer. They communed for a few minutes, while I watched in wonder. The things we believed about animals have changed, and it’s comforting to know we humans can see each other in a new light also. We need only accept each other for what we truly are, reflections of divine Love, to bypass the immaterial illusion of angry, divisive people who cannot get along because of opposing thought systems. Loving one another as God loves us shouldn’t be difficult. Let’s get out of our own way and allow that Love to shine from each of us, without setting parameters of who or what will receive it. Namaste …

“Seek not within the world to find your Self. Love is not found in darkness and in death. Yet it is perfectly apparent to the eyes that see and ears that hear love’s Voice. Today we practice making free your mind of all the laws you think you must obey; of all the limits under which you live, and all the changes that you think are part of human destiny. Today we take the largest single step this course requests in your advance towards its established goal.”  A Course in Miracles — W-127.6:1-5

“Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach you. The cement of a higher humanity will unite all interests in the one divinity.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 571:18-21

Living Peace

St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church

Eureka Springs, AR 

Photo credit: Richard Quick

I play the organ for three congregations in our community. When I first began playing for the Catholics seven years ago, I had never been to any service other than Christian Science gatherings. I had no idea people thought Jesus was God. There were many creeds and rituals which I found fascinating, and I learned to translate them into expressions of love and peace. All the congregations I have played for have at their core the desire to help others, and to bring an end to suffering. Today, Father Joseph’s message was to love everyone, whether you agree with them or not. He stressed that God was Love and loved everyone no matter what their race, religion, political party, gender, or other tribal separation. He said it in such a heartfelt understanding of its truth that I’m still riding high on his words. I was feeling the love as I stopped at the grocery store on the way home from afternoon mass. A man and his wife were there with their four children and they caught my attention when the man shouted to his son to get his f***ing hands off things unless he had money to buy it. As we passed in the aisle, I pointedly made eye contact with the man, and hopefully I was smiling. His eyes were devoid of any emotion. How I wish he had heard and taken to heart the beautiful message I had just experienced at mass. I pray that we may be kind whenever possible, and know that it is always possible. Namaste …

“The world I see is hardly the representation of loving thoughts. It is a picture of attack on everything by everything. It is anything but a reflection of the Love of God and the Love of His Son. It is my own attack thoughts that give rise to this picture. My loving thoughts will save me from this perception of the world, and give me the peace God intended me to have.” A Course in Miracles -W-55.2:2-6

“Spiritual living and blessedness are the only evidences, by which we can recognize true existence and feel the unspeakable peace which comes from an all-absorbing spiritual love.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 264:24-27

When I Am Among the Trees - Mary Oliver

 

Ota Janeček - Aged Trees, 1981

WHEN I AM AMONG THE TREES 

By Mary Oliver

“When I am among the trees,

especially the willows and the honey locust,

equally the beech, the oaks and the pines,

they give off such hints of gladness.

I would almost say that they save me, and daily.

I am so distant from the hope of myself,

in which I have goodness, and discernment,

and never hurry through the world

but walk slowly, and bow often.

Around me the trees stir in their leaves

and call out, ‘Stay awhile.’

The light flows from their branches.

And they call again, ‘It’s simple,’ they say,

‘and you too have come

into the world to do this, to go easy, to be filled

with light, and to shine.’”

Mary Oliver

Am I Pro-Life?

 

My Grandson

I have listened to the abortion debate all my life. Fifty years ago the lawmakers of our nation decided to allow what had always been an illegal, frightening, and dangerous act. My breaking point on the current debate came when someone posted to a local chat board that they were glad their mother had not aborted them. What about the flip side of this question? Perhaps you were born BECAUSE your mother had an abortion at some point prior to the pregnancy which resulted in you. If that other fetus had been brought to term, it’s very likely (for numerous reasons) that mom’s life circumstances would have been such that you, as you know yourself, would not exist. I pray that anyone who is fighting for the so-called right to life will consider that scenario. I call on my Christian friends to contemplate what the words “never born, never dying” actually mean. What exactly is eternal life? Perhaps the commandment “thou shalt not kill” actually was written as “thou cannot kill”. We, with all our intellectual hubris, need to give up our strong opinions, because they close our mind to anything else. If you think I’m going to hell for killing a baby, so be it. Let God deal with it. It is, purely and simply, no one’s business other than mine. As I told a pollster when they called on the phone and asked the loaded question: Are you pro-life? Yes! I assured them. BUT, I believe a woman should be able to have an abortion if she chooses. They immediately hung up the phone. Namaste…

“Question: What is Life?

Answer: Life is divine Principle, Mind, Soul, Spirit. Life is without beginning and without end. Eternity, not time, expresses the thought of Life, and time is no part of eternity. One ceases in proportion as the other is recognized. Time is finite; eternity is forever infinite. Life is neither in nor of matter. What is termed matter is unknown to Spirit, which includes in itself all substance and is Life eternal. Matter is a human concept. Life is divine Mind. Life is not limited. Death and finiteness are unknown to Life. If Life ever had a beginning, it would also have an ending.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Pages 468:26-6

“This beginning is usually associated with physical birth, because it is hard to maintain that the ego existed before that point in time. The more ‘religiously’ ego-oriented may believe that the soul existed before, and will continue to exist after a temporary lapse into ego life. Some even believe that the soul will be punished for this lapse. However, salvation does not apply to spirit, which is not in danger and does not need to be salvaged.” 

A Course in Miracles - T-4.II.9:4-7

Higher Ideals of Life and Joy

I received a phone call from a relative I’d lost touch with following the passing of my dad three decades ago. There were some very weird events and ugly words precipitating our split, and I can honestly say years have gone by without her crossing my mind. I was happy to hear from her, and when she mentioned some of the dissension between us, I was able to answer honestly that she had been very helpful in many ways and I was glad she had been there. After our call ended, I asked myself if I had meant what I said — and, yes, I did. Of course, upon examination, I could have said many other things which were not so complimentary, but I had felt no compulsion to do so and didn’t feel as though they were defining elements in our interactions. I’m grateful she reminded me of our disagreement and I’m joyous there are no painful memories of that time.

“I am affected only by my thoughts” A Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson 338

“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 299:1-11

Which World?

The changes we have witnessed in our lifetime have been exciting and — to take a phrase from the ‘70s — mind blowing! Decades ago, when we were told about the Age of Aquarius and, more recently, when 2012 was explained as a shift in consciousness, I'm not sure we recognized there would be any real change in our lives. Those who are looking for material reasons to explain the shifts in everything from politics to weather, are feeling helpless and overwhelmed. Looked at from a different perspective, we see changes are necessary in order to facilitate the realization of this new earth which we are ready to embrace. As with any shift in thought, some people are afraid and working to keep the old ways, but it is impossible to "see two worlds”. Living in fear or embracing love, those are our choices. I know which one I want!

“What we would learn today is more than just the lesson that you cannot see two worlds. It also teaches that the one you see is quite consistent from the point of view from which you see it. It is all a piece because it stems from one emotion, and reflects its source in everything you see.” A Course in Miracles -  W-130.6:3-5

“The visible universe and material man are the poor counterfeits of the invisible universe and spiritual man.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 337:22-24

Changing the Material Basis of Thought

Photo credit: Richard Quick

Many of my friends are activists. They have worked for years to improve our environment, politics, and the multitude of things in need of advancement. Some have told me they are tired of the fight. I am extremely grateful to each and every one of you who work to clean up rivers, who are passionate about producing uncontaminated food, who stand up to various tyrants and declare, "The emperor has no clothes!" Not a single person has told me that they're tired of the physical effort involved in these projects; it's the butting up against thought stuck in strong opinion, or that which is fueled by hate and fear, which is frustrating to them. This is where our metaphysical advice can be helpful: Don't try to change anyone else's mind, only your own. More and more of us are witnessing Truth brought to seemingly impossible situations, and we're finding that new avenues of action appear when this is done. There is no need to defend ourselves or proclaim our own strong opinions in support of this Truth. Knowing it, within our own selves, is sufficient!

“As when an acid and alkali meet and bring out a third quality, so mental and moral chemistry changes the material base of thought, giving more spirituality to consciousness and causing it to depend less on material evidence.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 422:14-18

“Every thought you have makes up some segment of the world you see. It is with your thoughts, then, that we must work, if your perception of the world is to be changed.” 

A Course in Miracles - W-23.1:4-5

Mother’s Day?

Around 1870, mothers from both sides of the Civil War came together in an attempt to stop the fighting brought on by what they called “irrelevant agencies”. In other words, stop sending our sons to their death for whatever-in-the-heck reasons you may come up with. Julia Ward Howe wrote this letter calling on women to come together. Finally, in 1907, Woodrow Wilson watered down the idea and made up Mother’s Day in an attempt to appease women. And so it goes …

“Arise, all women who have hearts, whether your baptism be that of water or of tears! Say firmly: ‘We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies, our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause.

‘Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. We women of one country will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.’

From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with our own. It says, ‘Disarm, disarm! The sword is not the balance of justice.’ Blood does not wipe out dishonor nor violence indicate possession.

As men have often forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel. Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead. Let them then solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace, each learning after his own time, the sacred impress, not of Caesar, but of God.

In the name of womanhood and of humanity, I earnestly ask that a general congress of women without limit of nationality may be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient and at the earliest period consistent with its objects, to promote the alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace.” 

Julia Ward Howe 

“Illusion meets illusion; truth, itself. The meeting of illusions leads to war. Peace, looking on itself, extends itself. War is the condition in which fear is born, and grows and seeks to dominate. Peace is the state where love abides, and seeks to share itself. Conflict and peace are opposites. Where one abides the other cannot be; where either goes the other disappears. So is the memory of God obscured in minds that have become illusions’ battleground. Yet far beyond this senseless war it shines, ready to be remembered when you side with peace.” 

A Course in Miracles T-23.I.12:1-9)

Have a Nurturing Day!

I didn’t teach my children to celebrate Mother’s Day. I suppose the world did, as I received a memorable note from Aaron one year. He listed 20 reasons why I was the best mother in the world. It was humorous and I loved it! My younger son, Dylan, regularly picks flowers from my garden (and his dad’s) for me. He knows I love flowers in the house and he thinks of me often. I’m not sure either one of my children know my birthdate, and that’s fine, too. I much prefer the Aboriginal idea of telling people when you’ve become a better person, then calling everyone together to celebrate! Why party because time has passed? With this said, have a happy Mother’s Day everyone. Please remember it’s not necessary to have borne a child in order to celebrate a nurturing spirit. Tend your flowers, love an animal, help your neighbor, cook a meal with loving attention, give of your time and energy to things which matter to you — the list is endless in ways your mothering nature can be shown! Namaste…

“Physical birth is not a beginning; it is a continuing. Everything that continues has already been born. It will increase as you are willing to return the unhealed part of your mind to the higher part, returning it undivided to creation.” A Course in Miracles T-5.IV.2:4-6

“Both sexes should be loving, pure, tender, and strong. The attraction between native qualities will be perpetual only as it is pure and true, bringing sweet seasons of renewal like the returning spring.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 57: 8-14

Is Healing Love a Cliché

Photo credit: Stephen Shogren

Love heals. We hear this so often, it's probably become somewhat of a cliché. We may think that nothing can heal the ills of the world, much less something as intangible as love. What if love were the most powerful force in the universe? Not just an emotion called love, but an omnipotent, gentle presence which is a synonym for Source. What if experiencing this Love was sufficient to heal every thought of evil or sickness or misery which has ever been imagined? Then we'd all be lining up to get some of this stuff, don't you think? And it's even easier than that. We only need get out of our own way to see what has always been there. Love heals.

“One moment of divine consciousness, or the spiritual understanding of Life and Love, is a foretaste of eternity.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 598:23-25

“Who uses but Christ’s vision finds a peace so deep and quiet, undisturbable and wholly changeless, that the world contains no counterpart. Comparisons are still before this peace. And all the world departs in silence as this peace envelops it, and gently carries it to truth, no more to be the home of fear. For love has come, and healed the world by giving it Christ’s peace.” 

A Course in Miracles - W-305.1:1-4

Awareness of Love’s Presence

Photo credit: Aaron Springston

Spending the better part of two weeks with my son, his fantastic wife, and their baby, has been a time of renewal for me. The past few years have been difficult for us all. We’ve experienced friends’ deaths, illnesses, and other emotionally draining events. It seems there’s no time to recover from one sadness before another is upon us. Even so, until I held my sweet grandson in my arms, I had not realized how bereft I was feeling. The rejuvenation of spirit this new child brought to my existence was surprising in its intensity. And the gratitude I feel for the rushes of love experienced from holding him have been an awakening from a slumber not realized. I suppose it’s easy to slip into a certain ennui and not know it. Perhaps this is something many others are not aware of feeling, because nothing has awakened them, such as a sweet new baby looking in their eyes. Let us not forget to be kind to each other. There’s no way to know how it could change a life. Namaste…

"When angels visit us, we do not hear the rustle of wings, nor feel the feathery touch of the breast of a dove; but we know their presence by the love they create in our hearts." 

~ Mary Baker Eddy

“The course does not aim at teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love’s presence, which is your natural inheritance.” A Course in Miracles T-in.1:6-7

Hitting the Road …

This was Torin’s first time to be outside sitting on the ground. He is not pleased. 😊 

Soon I will be traveling to Colorado to meet my grand baby! I love visiting with my son and his wife, so this will be extra special having their new addition there, too. My writings will be sporadic for the next two weeks. Please know you are in my heart…

“Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.” Kahlil Gibran

Happiness is Love. Full Stop.

Eureka Women - photo credit, Richard Quick

Arthur C Brooks has spent decades studying happiness. We all know that things which bring us pleasure in our early years are not necessarily what nurtures us in our later ones. In his recent book, “From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life”, this columnist for The Atlantic reports, “Those who are unhappiest later in life are often the strivers on a continual quest for money, power, pleasure, and prestige.” Mr. Brooks also teaches a class on happiness at Harvard Business School. He tells us what most of us already know: “The world gives you a bogus formula for happiness. No 1: Use people. No. 2: Love things. No 3: Worship yourself. And it actually seems right because it’s so close to the truth. It just mixes up the nouns and the verbs. The right formula, based on all of the best neuroscience, clinical, and social scientific research, is simply: Use things, love people, and worship the divine. You can boil down all of the studies of happiness to five words. Those words are: Happiness is love. Full stop.” 

"Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it."

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 57:18-21

“Happy dreams come true, not because they are dreams, but only because they are happy. And so they must be loving. Their message is, ‘Thy Will be done,’and not, ‘I want it otherwise.’” A Course in Miracles Text Page 223

Reflections of Truth

unknown photographer 

Many, perhaps most, self-help books concentrate on how to change behaviors. The two disciplines I study focus on how to rid ourselves of barriers in our thoughts which keep us from being our true selves. What if everything we deem to be wrong about ourselves would simply melt away if we actually knew that we are the image and likeness of our Source? Mary Baker Eddy defines God as Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, Love. We are the reflection of these words. And they are capitalized because the same words with a small letter at the beginning would simply be the ego’s creations, mortal mind’s confusing interpretations  — of which there are many! When I notice myself falling into the little letter mode of thought, I try not to berate myself, but simply turn thought to a higher level than where the world continually encourages it to be. Let’s be gentle with our corrections, just as Love is. 

“Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all of the barriers within yourself that you have built against it. It is not necessary to seek for what is true, but it IS necessary to seek for what is false."

A Course in Miracles, Text, page 338

“Correct material belief by spiritual understanding and Spirit will form you anew." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health 425:24

Grief Without Suffering

 

Photo credit: Blake Lasater 

My thoughts turn to a family friend from long ago. She was a wonderful, spiritually-aware person who showed me the truth in Workbook Lesson #248 from A Course in Miracles: “Whatever suffers is not part of me”. Over the course of a year, this friend’s husband passed on, her daughter was in a car accident which left her in a coma for months before she died, and her house burned down. While I know she felt grief, I'm not sure there was despair. She always had a twinkle in her eye and a generous heart. When she herself passed on some 20 years later, I am told she went with a smile on her face. I often think of her. "Whatever suffers is not a part of me" is not a heartless statement. It doesn't deny the feelings we have, nor does it bring a hardness which excludes emotion. On the contrary! It's a pure Love which allows us to face hard times with a firm understanding of the beauty of Truth. After walking through the grief, we're free to see that nothing can touch our true Self or change the reality of Love. My heart is with everyone in the midst of grief today. Namaste …

"If grief causes suffering, convince the sufferer that affliction is often the source of joy, and that he should rejoice always in ever-present Love." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 377:3

Cosmic Time

We all have experienced the relativity of time passing. Time spent in the dentist’s chair passes much slower than time laughing and talking to friends! Years ago, it seemed we had sped up time with all of the rushing about we do. Even youngsters think time  passes quickly. Then the pandemic came and time took on a whole new persona, don’t you think? It seems to be both slow and fast at the same time! I can’t tell you if something happened a couple of months ago or last year — unless there is a definitive event involved. When we were told that big cosmic changes were on the way, I don’t think anyone could have predicted the world we are now experiencing. And individually we are feeling both torn and united. We have loved ones dying, being hospitalized, breaking bones, losing their homes, losing their minds. And somehow there seems to be greater clarity than ever. It’s an impossible thing for me to define, but we need to talk to each other when we become afraid. Love is stronger than fear, and we only need a reminder of that to bring us back to true reality. Namaste, dear friends …

“The miracle minimizes the need for time. In the longitudinal or horizontal plane the recognition of the equality of the members of the Sonship appears to involve almost endless time. However, the miracle entails a sudden shift from horizontal to vertical perception. This introduces an interval from which the giver and receiver both emerge farther along in time than they would otherwise have been. The miracle thus has the unique property of abolishing time to the extent that it renders the interval of time it spans unnecessary. There is no relationship between the time a miracle takes and the time it covers. The miracle substitutes for learning that might have taken thousands of years. It does so by the underlying recognition of perfect equality of giver and receiver on which the miracle rests. The miracle shortens time by collapsing it, thus eliminating certain intervals within it. ¹It does this, however, within the larger temporal sequence.” A Course in Miracles - T-1.II.6:1-10 

“You may know when first Truth leads by the fewness and faithfulness of its followers. Thus it is that the march of time bears onward freedom’s banner. The powers of this world will fight, and will command their sentinels not to let truth pass the guard until it subscribes to their systems, but Science, heeding not the pointed bayonet, marches on. There is always some tumult, but there is a rallying to truth’s standard.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 7