One Grand Brotherhood

Today at the Catholic mass at which I play keyboards, the man who manages fundraisers made an announcement. It seems the young priest’s niece, who lives in his native country of Nigeria, is very ill. Through someone’s negotiations, it was determined that the Arkansas Children’s Hospital was willing to evaluate her and see if anything can be done to help, and they are willing to do this free of charge. Of course, the girl and her mother would need to have airfare from halfway around the world. So there was a letter sent out to the congregation asking for financial help in this matter. The announcement today was that $5,000 had been needed for this endeavor, and more than $17,000 had been donated to the family! Before telling the total cash contributions, the man looked down and shook his head. He said, You crazy people. And his voice cracked as he told of the large amount which had been collected. From my vantage point at the piano, I could see everyone’s faces and my eyes filled with tears as did most of the room. What a testament to the power of people to help people! This, in my mind, is what church is. What a blessing to have witnessed this!

“The rich in spirit help the poor in one grand brotherhood, all having the same Principle, or Father; and blessed is that man who seeth his brother’s need and supplieth it, seeking his own in another’s good.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 518: 15-19 

Spiders and Such

"Praying Mantis on a Fingertip"
photo by Richard Quick

I never watch doom-and-gloom television shows, and steadfastly refuse to listen to people's stories of their fear of nature and its consequences. But recently I saw a short snippet of a video about brown recluse spiders, which are prevalent in our area. The narrator of this video was telling us how spiders don't attack unless they're surprised or bothered in some way, and they showed a clip of a spider resting on a stack of washcloths with a person's hand going toward them. Yikes!! Well, that image has stuck in my mind to the extent that I look for spiders on every towel or washcloth I touch. And the odd thing is, I try to pretend I'm not doing this! Who do I think I'm fooling? This is the type of fearful living which I refuse to acknowledge, but yet I'm doing it. And so now, I can choose to analyze this behavior and rationalize that I don't worry about spiders in other places so why here. But that's all it would be: a material rationalization, trying to convince myself there's nothing to fear. A Course in Miracles tells us “my mind holds only what I think with God”. So I must ask myself if God is afraid of spiders. We are also told in ACIM to “loose the world from all I thought it was”, and this is sufficient reason for me to loose my beliefs and reactions to creepy crawlies - I hope! We are also told we “cannot fail when seeking to reach the truth of being”. I sure do want to do that!

“All of God’s creatures, moving in the harmony of Science, are harmless, useful, indestructible.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 514:28-30

A Cell in the Universe

"Ancient Enigma"
sculpture by Ken Starbird 

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, ever 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! 

Mary Baker Eddy quote:

"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." Science & Health Page 259: 27-31

Life's Synchronicity

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

Legislating Morality

The Ten Commandments were created to tell people what is right and what is not. We know that, don’t you think? 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 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 see 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. This takes us back to those rules we are taught to live by, the laws which we will be punished for breaking. The government of ourself is not dictated by any material laws. We all know of situations where children, animals, all things living, are abused by others. It doesn't appear that making more laws keep such things from happening. What I see is that such behavior is impossible when we allow government by divine Love, God. When listening in this way, we can't help but be keenly aware of the "still, small voice".  It speaks to me as a peaceful feeling. If uneasiness is bouncing around in my chest, it's time to wonder why! So today I want be governed by my intuitive feeling which comes from listening through spiritual sense, at-one-ment.

“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

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 my thought goes to 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

Irreconcilable Differences?

PC: 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