This and That

Photo credit: Arthur Bruno

What are your feelings when you hear someone justify their actions by stating that someone else did the same or “worse”? Do you cringe when you hear mention of women being made from a man’s rib? Does the extreme duality of the majority of religion cause you to wonder if they know the meaning of One? When someone is feeling hurt by another’s actions, why is it so difficult to say admit it — right out loud! These are a few of the questions which came to my attention today. I, of course, could expound on my opinions concerning these dilemmas, but I’m trying to listen for the deeper question here. But, please, feel free to tell me what your questions are today — and if you want, I’d love to hear your answers, too!

"Comparison must be an ego device, for love makes none. Specialness always makes comparisons. It is established by a lack seen in another, and maintained by searching for, and keeping clear in sight, all lacks it can perceive." 

A Course in Miracles Text, Chapter 24, The Treachery of Specialness

“Human thoughts have their degrees of comparison. Some thoughts are better than others. A belief in Truth is better than a belief in error, but no mortal testimony is founded on the divine rock. Mortal testimony can be shaken. Until belief becomes faith, and faith becomes spiritual understanding, human thought has little relation to the actual or divine.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 297:24-31

Reporting Facts

 

"I'm Chet Huntley, and I'm David Brinkley." We never doubted they were reporting facts. It was, after all, the news. In the 1980s, the Christian Science Monitor started a cable television news network. They were the first, and no one wanted to watch news all day long. I wonder how different news reporting would be had we experienced what it meant to report with their motto: "to injure no man but to bless all mankind". The political polarization in the 21st century is obscene. News channels say they are telling the truth, but their lies are blatantly transparent, only requiring a modicum of research to prove they are playing us, feeding our fears and insecurities. Some news stations report facts, but only ones they want us to hear. A few try to find truthful middle ground, but other stations malign them so much that many people have no idea what to believe. When I hear an outlandish headline, I do a quick search on that exact headline; it is either true or it's not. I occasionally go to Snopes.com just to see what sort of craziness is making the rounds. My point is, anyone can find out if something is true or if it's a story with the purpose of scaring us or turning us against someone or a group of people. It is imperative to do the work in order to be informed in this age of misinformation. And it’s fun!

"When error strives to be heard above Truth, let the 'still small voice' produce God's phenomena. Meet dispassionately the raging element of individual hate and counteract its most gigantic falsities." Mary Baker Eddy - Miscellany Page 249

“Be still and listen to the truth today. For each five minutes spent in listening, a thousand minds are opened to the truth and they will hear the holy Word you hear. And when the hour is past, you will again release a thousand more who pause to ask that truth be given them, along with you.” A Course in Miracles W-106.9:1-3

I Don’t Do That

St Patrick’s Day dancers in front of Presbyterian Church

Photo credit: Richard Quick

My friends in the churches where I play organ might think I’m some sort of heathen, as I don’t participate in well-loved rituals and ceremonies. Today a visiting Presbyterian minister said something which expressed my feelings on this. In speaking of attending other churches, she said that she doesn’t genuflect because Presbyterians don’t do that. She said she doesn’t kneel because Presbyterians don’t do that. She said she doesn’t bow to the altar because Presbyterians don’t do that. Perfect! And there needn’t be an explanation given when we do what our hearts dictate. I truly think that most religious gatherings have only the best of intentions at their core, but I find many are trying to personify God. While my way of thinking is to spiritualize myself, others seem to want to humanize Spirit. Having dedicated my life to realizing my true self as a reflection of divine Mind, I do not call myself a sinner and ask for forgiveness, or refer to “our father WHO art in heaven”, or any of the things which would take my prayer back to a by-rote repetition of words. I love my main-stream religious friends and would never want to hurt them. I would be happy to do repetitions of prayers or rites of communion if anyone is hurt because I don’t. Namaste to all! 

"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

“Miracles are thoughts. Thoughts can represent the lower or bodily level of experience, or the higher or spiritual level of experience. One makes the physical, and the other creates the spiritual.” 

A Course in Miracles T-1.I.12:1-3

Every Day Is The Best Day

Photo credit: Gabe Carlson

“Write it on your heart

that every day is the best day in the year.

He is rich who owns the day, and no one owns the day

who allows it to be invaded with fret and anxiety.

Finish every day and be done with it.

You have done what you could.

Some blunders and absurdities, no doubt crept in.

Forget them as soon as you can, tomorrow is a new day;

begin it well and serenely, with too high a spirit

to be cumbered with your old nonsense.

This new day is too dear,

with its hopes and invitations,

to waste a moment on the yesterdays.” 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Decisions …

 

Photo credit: Gerry Toler

Often when you think you have a decision figured out, when you have all your pros and cons listed and you know which direction you’re going to take, suddenly things change and you once again must make a decision. Usually I don’t worry about choosing because I’ve learned that trusting intuition is the way to go, rather than becoming anxious about what is the right thing to do and wondering if I’m going to make a mistake. Sometimes we come up against a situation where nothing feels right. When this happens, I like to trust being kind rather than right — but what if neither course of action seems kind or right?? Perhaps turning to Chapter 30 in A Course in Miracles text, the part on Rules for Decision, can bring peace. “‘Today I will make no decisions by myself.’ This means that you are choosing not to be the judge of what to do. But it must also mean you will not judge the situations where you will be called upon to make response. For if you judge them, you have set the rules for how you should react to them. And then another answer cannot but produce confusion and uncertainty and fear.” So many paths to take, indeed …

“The science of music governs tones. If mortals caught harmony through material sense, they would lose harmony, if time or accident robbed them of material sense. To be master of chords and discords, the science of music must be understood. Left to the decisions of material sense, music is liable to be misapprehended and lost in confusion. Controlled by belief, instead of understanding, music is, must be, imperfectly expressed. So man, not understanding the Science of being, — thrusting aside his divine Principle as incomprehensible, — is abandoned to conjectures, left in the hands of ignorance, placed at the disposal of illusions, subjected to material sense which is discord. A discontented, discordant mortal is no more a man than discord is music.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 304:22-4

Who Will Win Your Vote?

 

Photo credit: Blake Lasater

Epiphanies sometimes occur gradually. I’ve come to realize my opinions of people are often predicated by happenings from decades ago. Wow! This is a ridiculous thing to do, given that we are all works in progress. We all make mistakes, usually from lack of knowledge, rather than mean-spiritedness. As I advocate living in the NOW without clinging to remnants of the past, it was a shocking realization! With this in mind, let’s all go forward into the next election cycle and vote for candidates because of what they stand for now, today. Let us analyze them in terms of honesty — honesty as we perceive it to be in the present moment. It’s always been a mystery to me that we have political parties, and why people stand by them so fiercely. But that’s irrelevant when you look at the facts of a person’s life, what they stand for, how they live — allowing those indicators to win your vote, not paid advertisements or party affiliations. These realizations came to me because of my stand for a particular city council person in our village. I can’t even remember why I have a derogatory opinion about one of the candidates, and I’m not positive I remember why I like the other one. So it’s time for some serious study and reflection. It will be fun to look at facts with an open mind!

“Think honestly what you have thought that God would not have thought, and what you have not thought that God would have you think. Search sincerely for what you have done and left undone accordingly, and then change your mind to think with God’s. This may seem hard to do, but it is much easier than trying to think against it. Your mind is one with God’s. Denying this and thinking otherwise has held your ego together, but has literally split your mind. As a loving brother I am deeply concerned with your mind, and urge you to follow my example as you look at yourself and at your brother, and see in both the glorious creations of a glorious Father.” A Course in Miracles T-4.IV.2:4-9

‘Students are advised by the author to be charitable and kind, not only towards differing forms of religion and medicine, but to those who hold these differing opinions. Let us be faithful in pointing the way through Christ, as we understand it, but let us also be careful always to ‘judge righteous judgment,’ and never to condemn rashly.” Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 444:13-19

A Fabulous Life

As a child, I always wanted to live in town. My parents were older, I was an only child, and we lived in the country. I longed for the kind of neighborhood I heard my friends talk about. They had Beatles clubs, rode their bicycles together, had sleepovers — it sounded wonderful! So when I had children, I made sure to have two — and to move to a quiet street in a small town. I still live here and am in love with my neighborhood! After a difficult few hours today dealing with various technological issues, I was ready to relax and have dinner. I decided to return a couple of missed calls first, and had a relaxing talk with a childhood friend. While we were talking, a neighbor brought me a beautiful stir fry she had made. It was as thought she had read my mind and knew I didn’t want to cook and was hungry. The gratitude I feel for good friends and wonderful neighbors is boundless. I encourage everyone to sit on their front porch and visit with their neighbors, or pick up the phone and call an old friend. Life is as rich as we allow it to be, don’t you think? 

"If selfishness has given place to kindness, we shall regard our neighbor unselfishly, and bless them that curse us; but we shall never meet this great duty simply by asking that it may be done." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 9:11-14

“You respond to what you perceive, and as you perceive so shall you behave. The Golden Rule asks you to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This means that the perception of both must be accurate. The Golden Rule is the rule for appropriate behavior. You cannot behave appropriately unless you perceive correctly. Since you and your neighbor are equal members of one family, as you perceive both so you will do to both. You should look out from the perception of your own holiness to the holiness of others.” 

A Course in Miracles T-1.III.6:1-7