What’s the Problem?

Photo courtesy of Richard Quick

How do you respond when an acquaintance comes to you asking advice concerning a problem? It's probably NOT a good idea to tell them they don't know what their actual problem is and, if they did, then they would recognize that the problem has been solved! I was visiting with someone who knows the veracity of this seeming-conundrum and we mentioned a number of people we know who have problems with drinking alcohol. Actually, it only seems as though alcohol is the problem, and they are thinking of it as the solution. Looking at their situations from the outside, it appears that they are holding on to guilt because of their actions (for example, wartime killing of others), or pain because of others' actions (e.g., abandonment by a mother), or any number of things we think of as human problems. I bring this up to illustrate a lesson from A Course in Miracles: There is only one problem, feeling separated from God -- hence, separate from everyone. And there is only one solution: realizing what the problem is, letting the miracle take over, and being willing to accept it. So, when someone asks my advice concerning a “problem” of theirs, I will pause and realize God's law of adjustment, which is already done. I will recognize that nothing needs fixing by me or anyone else. And by this understanding, I will see them as whole, upright, and free. With clear, non-judgmental thought, what they need to hear will come out of my mouth. Namaste…

“If you are willing to recognize your problems, you will recognize that you have no problems. Your one central problem has been answered, and you have no other. Therefore, you must be at peace. Salvation thus depends on recognizing this one problem, and understanding that it has been solved. One problem, one solution. Salvation is accomplished. Freedom from conflict has been given you. Accept that fact, and you are ready to take your rightful place in God’s plan for salvation.” 

A Course in Miracles W-80.1:1-8

“Human reason and religion come slowly to the recognition of spiritual facts, and so continue to call upon matter to remove the error which the human mind alone has created.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 173:25-28

A New Standpoint

Photo credit: Michael Shaw

Are you a list maker? If you have a list of problems which need to be solved, it should be a relief to know there is only one problem and only one solution! If you watch or listen to news and feel overwhelmed by the problems of the world, it is a welcome respite to realize there is only one solution, and that solution is shown through a recognition of the problem. Actually, there is no need to think about a solution, you only need recognize that there is but one problem -- and that realization is, in itself, the solution. Every problem which seems to exist is the result of one thing: a belief in separation from God. I remember a friend had a poster in her office reminding the people who came in that the only reason she wanted to know their problem was as an identifier; after that, she only wanted to hear about solutions. Wayne Dyer wrote a whole book about it: There's a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem. The problem is that I believe I have separated from Source. The solution lies in that recognition!

"Ontology receives less attention than physiology. Why? Because mortal mind must waken to spiritual life before it cares to solve the problem of being, hence the author's experience; but when that awakening comes, existence will be on a new standpoint."

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 556:25-30

“A problem cannot be solved if you do not know what it is. Even if it is really solved already you will still have the problem, because you will not recognize that it has been solved. This is the situation of the world. The problem of separation, which is really the only problem, has already been solved. Yet the solution is not recognized because the problem is not recognized.” 

A Course in Miracles W-79.1:1-5

I Choose a Healthy Mind

The morning meditation from Marianne Williamson was this: “Negativity poisons my mind and positivity restores it. I have a choice whether to join in the darkness of the world, its petty judgments, and constant blame. When I do so I inject my psyche with poison, and today I choose a healthy mind.” Shortly after reading these words, a youtube video presented itself to me. It was an interview with Matson and Tawni Browning.  They have written a book, The Hate Next Door. This couple went undercover and became part of the new white supremacy, seeing what feeds these extreme views. As we know, strong, negative opinions breed hate and fear. And the opposite is also true: a positive outlook allows love and joy to permeate our lives. This is the miracle realization which replaces all our grievances. We can be unhappy about everything — i.e., the pollen is making me sick, politicians are liars, everything is too expensive, and on and on. Or we can notice the beauty of every little thing, and be grateful. At this time of the year, everything is being born again, in beauty and light. We can join in as the trees “clap their hands”! 

“Perhaps it is not yet quite clear to you that each decision that you make is one between a grievance and a miracle. Each grievance stands like a dark shield of hate before the miracle it would conceal. And as you raise it up before your eyes, you will not see the miracle beyond. Yet all the while it waits for you in light, but you behold your grievances instead.” 

A Course in Miracles W-78.1:1-4

"Human affection is not poured forth vainly, even though it meet no return. Love enriches the nature, enlarging, purifying, and elevating it. The wintry blasts of earth may uproot the flowers of affection, and scatter them to the winds; but this severance of fleshly ties serves to unite thought more closely to God, for Love supports the struggling heart until it ceases to sigh over the world and begins to unfold its wings for heaven."

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 57:22-30

The Natural Order of Things

Photo courtesy of Richard Quick

The miracles we seek are the natural order of things, and they are ours for the knowing of that Truth. Most, if not all, of our holiday celebrations are based on myth, and they are often quite odd and far-fetched. I suppose they are based on history of some sort; remembrances of past events. Usually, they involve a lot of drinking and so-called celebrating, and there is often some type of nationalism involved. Like this St. Patrick's Day craziness -- what's up with that? Perhaps it's because we want to believe in magical beings which give us happiness and abundance. We tend to think these things are somewhere outside of us, and we can find them if only we get lucky enough to be at the end of the rainbow. Some people think everything will be great if they give their lives to Jesus. And let's not forget about those birthday wishes coming true if we blow out all the candles! Maybe we celebrate so hard because we innately know all this good is ours simply for the acknowledgement of it, but we don't understand how to do that.  So we dance, drink, celebrate. We try so hard to find what is already ours, not realizing it is waiting for us to be still and know it. The miracle IS God's law. Now that's something to celebrate!

"A miracle fulfills God's law, but does not violate that law. This fact at present seems more mysterious than the miracle itself."

Mary Baker Eddy -Science & Health Page 134:31-32

“You are entitled to miracles because of what you are. You will receive miracles because of what God is. And you will offer miracles because you are one with God. Again, how simple is salvation! It is merely a statement of your true Identity. It is this that we will celebrate today.”

A Course in Miracles W-77.1:1-6

Free As A Bird

Photo courtesy of Richard Quick

We live in a world where many laws are enacted to protect us, such as wearing motorcycle helmets and seat belts in cars. Yet the items we find in our grocery stores are filled with chemicals and other things which can barely be classified as food. We are told to use pesticides on ourselves, our gardens, our pets, even though the rates of autoimmune disease and cancer climbs steadily. There are laws forcing us to immunize our children and our pets, yet what began as a life-saving procedure has been contaminated with odd chemicals and industrial waste. It seems impossible to get away from the multitude of horrors which are spoon-fed to us from every direction. And yet, I truly think there IS a spiritual solution to all the things which seem impossibly horrible. So I shall continue to study, continue working to rise above the miasma of erroneous thought, and strive to see past the hideous forms we seem to manifest. These things have nothing to do with the laws of Love, the creations of divine Mind, the Principle which we yearn to serve. May we live in the “glorious liberty of the children of God”! (MBE) 

“Citizens of the world, accept the ‘glorious liberty of the children of God,’ and be free! This is your divine right. The illusion of material sense, not divine law, has bound you, entangled your free limbs, crippled your capacities, enfeebled your body, and defaced the tablet of your being.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 227:24-28

“We have observed before how many senseless things have seemed to you to be salvation. Each has imprisoned you with laws as senseless as itself. You are not bound by them. Yet to understand that this is so, you must first realize salvation lies not there. While you would seek for it in things that have no meaning, you bind yourself to laws that make no sense. Thus do you seek to prove salvation is where it is not.” 

A Course in Miracles W-76.1:1-6

The Light Has Come

Photo courtesy of Aaron Springston

Mahatma Gandhi famously said to a rioting crowd: “I am a Muslim, a Christian, a Buddhist, a Jew — and so are you!” In Galatians we are told of the teachings of Jesus: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female…”  We are all the same One, and we are free! Perseverance in dropping false testimony of the material senses is celebrated today: The light has come! Of course, it has always been there, waiting for us to notice it. Critical mass tipping point isn't 51%, because just a taste of goodness spreads exponentially. The light has come! Thinking that we need a tribe in order to prosper, or that family is necessary for us to feel whole, or that a religion is needed to see God, these are all beliefs we have come to rely upon. Knowing and seeing the truth of our being has nothing to do with belief, dogma, or creed. The light has come! Let's join our thoughts today in the realization that Love is all that is enduring. Other things pass away, but this light of Love cannot be extinguished. The light has come!

“The light has come. You are healed and you can heal. The light has come. You are saved and you can save. You are at peace, and you bring peace with you wherever you go. Darkness and turmoil and death have disappeared. The light has come. Today we celebrate the happy ending to your long dream of disaster. There are no dark dreams now. The light has come. Today the time of light begins for you and everyone. It is a new era, in which a new world is born. The old one has left no trace upon it in its passing. Today we see a different world, because the light has come.” 

A Course in Miracles W-75.1:1–2:7

“Let us feel the divine energy of Spirit, bringing us into newness of life and recognizing no mortal nor material power as able to destroy. Let us rejoice that we are subject to the divine 'powers that be.' Such is the true Science of being. Any other theory of Life, or God, is delusive and mythological.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 249:6-10

Peace in Time of Turmoil

Looking back in my blog for posts from the past which correlate to today’s Course in Miracles Workbook Lesson, I found this from 12 years ago. For new readers, this concerns an art gallery I ran in downtown Eureka Springs.

For the past few weeks, there have been repairs to the "underground" going on in front of my gallery. Eureka Springs is unique in many ways. One of those ways is the fact that certain streets were raised in order to allow the flow of water and mud to pass underneath them during rain storms. In effect, there is empty space under some of our sidewalks and streets. An underground wall in front of Eureka Thyme is in the process of being repaired right now. We are a tourist town, and the month of March has traditionally been the start of the "season", with spring break in surrounding areas bringing us masses of people to us. The weather is warm, the flowers are blooming, and my gallery is closed. The attached photo shows how far they are from finishing these repairs! Numerous people have said they can't believe how calm I'm being about all of this. What good would it do to be otherwise, I ask? But today's lesson is much needed and I will often repeat these words from it: "I am at peace. Nothing can disturb me. My will is God's. My will and God's are one. God wills peace for His Son." Throughout this seeming ordeal, I have held to the spiritual fact that all involved in this endeavor will be open to hearing intuition guide them. Every time the situation crosses my mind, I will turn to the words of today's lesson and also the writings of Mary Baker Eddy. This week's Christian Science Lesson is entitled "Matter" and its elucidation of what reality is soothes me. And all is well.

“God gives you His spiritual ideas, and in turn, they give you daily supplies. Never ask for tomorrow: it is enough that divine Love is an ever-present help; and if you wait, never doubting, you will have all you need every moment. What a glorious inheritance is given to us through the understanding of omnipresent Love! More we cannot ask: more we do not want: more we cannot have.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, Page 307

“God’s is the only Will. When you have recognized this, you have recognized that your will is His. The belief that conflict is possible has gone. Peace has replaced the strange idea that you are torn by conflicting goals. As an expression of the Will of God, you have no goal but His.” 

A Course in Miracles W-74.1:1-6