Nobody’s Right If Everybody’s Wrong …

I read a rather long article about Friedrich Nietzsche. It seems everyone, no matter their political persuasion, can make a case that he is writing just for them, supporting their views, and inspiring them to further heights of egotistical thought. While reading this, other instances came to mind of how songs and/or books can be perceived to suit our views. I was talking to a woman whose political attitudes are very different from mine, and she mentioned the song, “For What It’s Worth”, saying how perfectly it expressed what she felt about the current political scene. This well-known 1960s song  has been thought of as a protest song, beloved by liberal hippies for decades. Here is a verse:

“There’s battle lines being drawn. 

Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong. 

Young people speaking their minds, 

Getting so much resistance from behind. 

It’s time we stop, hey, what’s that sound? 

Everybody look what’s going down.”

I’ve heard of something similar happening with the novel 1984, which white supremacists quote as part of their rhetoric. Orwell’s use of the term “doublespeak” seems to jive with “alternative facts”, and somehow everything is turned around to fit anyone’s point of view. From 1984: “War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength.” 

I think of these instances as showing that we are more alike than different. Of course, it could be just the opposite! Haha! 

“The question, ‘What is Truth,’ convulses the world. Many are ready to meet this inquiry with the assurance which comes of understanding; but more are blinded by their old illusions, and try to ‘give it pause.’ ‘If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.’

“The efforts of error to answer this question by some ology are vain. Spiritual rationality and free thought accompany approaching Science, and cannot be put down. They will emancipate humanity, and supplant unscientific means and so-called laws.” 

Mary Baker Eddy -  Science & Health Page 223:14-24

“Brother, we find that stillness now. The way is open. ³Now we follow it in peace together. You have reached your hand to me, and I will never leave you. We are one, and it is but this oneness that we seek, as we accomplish these few final steps which end a journey that was not begun.”

A Course in Miracles W-225.2:1-5

Practice and Understanding

Image of Unknown Origin

In an internet search about meditation and its various forms, I found a couple of interesting 60 Minutes programs. One was an homage to holy places. Mount Athos, in eastern Greece, has been inhabited by monks for over 1,000 years. The men who are sequestered there “pray without ceasing”, as per the dictate of St. Paul. While I acknowledge and honor their choice, I don’t think they’re the only ones living their life as a prayer. Many of us have this goal, and while we may not always be successful, it becomes a habit to catch thoughts which are not in line with divine Love, turning them around and giving thanks for this awareness. Another program along these lines measured brain activity when folks were talking about other people, and also when they were talking about spirituality. Different parts of their brain were used when thinking about negative subjects or, alternatively, loving activities. While I do not remember the particulars of these studies, I know from experience that it makes a difference in our daily experiences. Today, I urge everyone to express joy and happiness as they go about their day. I’m sure most of my readers already do this, but feel free to let me know how it’s going!

“Christians rejoice in secret beauty and bounty, hidden from the world, but known to God. Self-forgetfulness, purity, and affection are constant prayers. Practice not profession, understanding not belief, gain the ear and right hand of omnipotence and they assuredly call down infinite blessings. Trustworthiness is the foundation of enlightened faith.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 15:25-31

“My true Identity is so secure, so lofty, sinless, glorious and great, wholly beneficent and free from guilt, that Heaven looks to It to give it light. It lights the world as well. It is the gift my Father gave to me; the one as well I give the world. There is no gift but this that can be either given or received. This is reality, and only this. This is illusion’s end. It is the truth.”

A Course in Miracles W-224.1:1-7

Accoutrements to Life

I’ve been thinking about the way we define ourselves by our jobs, our talents, our looks, our cars, our children — well, the list goes on, doesn’t it? When I closed my beloved art gallery, many people warned me about the huge adjustment I would face, not going there every day, not having it as the center of my existence. But it wasn’t! I think that’s because it never defined me. I never thought of myself as being what I was doing. It’s easy to think of one’s self as being a mother, or a mechanic, or any number of things which we do on a daily basis. And there is nothing wrong with that; nothing at all! But I’m very grateful that all the hats I’ve worn in this life are just that: accouterments to Life!

"God is divine Life, and Life is no more confined to the forms which reflect it than substance is in its shadow.”

Mary Baker Eddy- Science & Health Page 331:1-3

“I was mistaken when I thought I lived apart from God, a separate entity that moved in isolation, unattached, and housed within a body. Now I know my life is God’s, I have no other home, and I do not exist apart from Him. He has no Thoughts that are not part of me, and I have none but those which are of Him.”

A Course in Miracles W-223.1:1-3

Love Must Triumph Over Hate

Photo courtesy of Blake Lasater

When we think of extremist religious groups, what usually comes to mind is something similar to the Islamic group, al Qaeda. Because Jesus was a man who spurned violence as much as he turned away from riches and power, we think of Christianity as a medium for peace and love. Unfortunately, this is not always true. The teachings of Jesus were simple: love your neighbor as yourself and God above all else. In the past few years, we have discovered that many people in our country, people who proclaim themselves to be Christians, are waging violence because they think God is telling them to do so. It is beyond my ability to grasp this idea. We see some pastors and political leaders leading their followers down dead-end paths of hatred and violence. And for what reason? Why would Christians -- or anyone -- be opposed to people simply because they are of a different political party than the one they support? I hope we can all remember that Jesus did not plan to start a religion. He came to teach us the way to peace, how to love without judgment, and empathy for all beings. I pray for the day we can free ourselves of political parties and religious sects, living from the purity of our heart, without the ritual and rule of power-hungry leaders. Namaste...

"The Science Jesus taught and lived must triumph over all material beliefs about life, substance, and intelligence, and the multitudinous errors growing from such beliefs. Love must triumph over hate." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 43:27

“God is with me. He is my Source of life, the life within, the air I breathe, the food by which I am sustained, the water which renews and cleanses me. He is my home, wherein I live and move; the Spirit which directs my actions, offers me Its Thoughts, and guarantees my safety from all pain. He covers me with kindness and with care, and holds in love the Son He shines upon, who also shines on Him. How still is he who knows the truth of what He speaks today!

“Father, we have no words except Your Name upon our lips and in our minds, as we come quietly into Your Presence now, and ask to rest with You in peace a while.”

A Course in Miracles W-222.1:1–2:1

Peace To My Mind

Photo courtesy of Blake Lasater

When I was a child, I didn’t like to have conversations when I first awakened in the morning. My mother thought this was a flaw in my character and tried to change me. Looking at this now, I see that silence in the morning works best for many of us. If I start out the day with inane conversation, or news stories hand-picked to feed my fears, the flavor of my day has been set and it’s difficult to center myself in the calm needed to move happily through it. Similarly, when I don’t sleep well at night, it’s because I haven’t been able to shut down my thoughts. Although I am not a fan of ritual, morning and evening meditations work for me. We are all individuals, and through an examination of your feelings, habits, and demeanor, you can discover what works for you, too! 

“Peace to my mind. Let all my thoughts be still. Father, I come to You today to seek the peace that You alone can give. I come in silence. In the quiet of my heart, the deep recesses of my mind, I wait and listen for Your Voice. My Father, speak to me today. I come to hear Your Voice in silence and in certainty and love, sure You will hear my call and answer me.” 

A Course in Miracles W-221.1:1-5

“Christ is the true idea voicing good, the divine message from God to men speaking to the human consciousness.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 332:9-11

Joyous Peace

My heart is too full to write this evening. I’m not sure this has ever been the case. May you feel peace and the presence of Love as fully as I do today! 

“In truth we gaze but do not see, and hearken but do not hear; we eat and drink but do not taste. And there lies the difference between Jesus of Nazareth and ourselves. His senses were all continually made new, and the world to Him was always a new world.”

Kahlil Gibran

“Today we seek no idols. Peace cannot be found in them. The peace of God is ours, and only this will we accept and want. Peace be to us today. For we have found a simple, happy way to leave the world of ambiguity, and to replace our shifting goals and solitary dreams with single purpose and companionship. For peace is union, if it be of God. We seek no further. We are close to home, and draw still nearer every time we say: There is no peace except the peace of God, and I am glad and thankful it is so.”

A Course in Miracles W-200.11:1-9

“Instinct is better than misguided reason, as even nature declares. The violet lifts her blue eye to greet the early spring. The leaves clap their hands as nature's untired worshippers." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 220:10

Breaking Through Physical Boundaries

Fabric Creation by Sandy Wythawai Starbird

Have you ever dreamed you could fly? My favorite freedom dream is one of running fast, sometimes leaving the ground and floating in mid-stride. Although I haven't had this recurring dream for some time, I can still fell the perfection of it. As I watch clips of the Olympic Games, my heart sings to see people using their bodies in life-affirming ways, as they joyously compete with each other and themselves. The beauty and grace expressed in these activities is awesome! Just as physical boundaries are broken and new records set, we are beginning to understand how we, too, can expect more of ourselves in this so-called physical existence. We are learning of the limitlessness of divine Mind’s ideas, of which we are One.   What is your highest ideal of freedom? 

“Be free today. And carry freedom as your gift to those who still believe they are enslaved within a body. Be you free, so that the Holy Spirit can make use of your escape from bondage, to set free the many who perceive themselves as bound and helpless and afraid. Let love replace their fears through you. Accept salvation now, and give your mind to Him Who calls to you to make this gift to Him. For He would give you perfect freedom, perfect joy, and hope that finds its full accomplishment in God.”

A Course in Miracles W-199.7:1-6

"This mortal is put off, and the new man or real man is put on, in proportion as mortals realize the Science of man and seek the true model." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 408:22-26