Lift the Sackcloth From My Eyes

We are, each and every one, the home of light and joy and peace — whether we remember it or not. It would seem that events conspire to keep us from this peace. We’re rockin’ along being joyful and light, then bam! — something blows up on our car, or a loved one does something we think is awful, or our business falls apart, or — well, as we often say, it’s always something. I find comfort during those times by reminding myself that I don’t have to know what’s going to happen; I simply need to remember that the best possible outcome is there waiting for me to discover it. It’s not going to benefit anyone or anything if I innumerate every possible outcome, worrying about the pros and cons until I’m worn out and feeling hopeless. Instead, I will rest in the knowledge that creative Mind is the principle which governs everything with the light of Love!

“Think of this, dear reader, for it will lift the sackcloth from your eyes, and you will behold the soft-winged dove descending upon you. The very circumstance, which your suffering sense deems wrathful and afflictive, Love can make an angel entertained unawares.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 574:23-30

“Father, it is today that I am free, because my will is Yours. I thought to make another will. Yet nothing that I thought apart from You exists. And I am free because I was mistaken, and did not affect my own reality at all by my illusions. Now I give them up, and lay them down before the feet of truth, to be removed forever from my mind. This is my holy instant of release. Father, I know my will is one with Yours.”

A Course in Miracles W-227.1:1-7

We All Have a Purpose

Characters from the hit series, Ted Lasso

Most of us have friends experiencing maladies of a physical, mental, and/or emotional nature. We all have roles to play in the care and comfort of these friends. My main focus has always been seeing through the material illusion to the spiritual truth. But recently I’m finding myself called to address, one-on-one, situations with people who need help in various physical ways. Of course, every situation is individual and many factors come into consideration. Whereas, I may be able to joke with one friend about her memory loss, another one might be in denial, or take offense to me making “light” of it. One friend and I can laugh about cancer and the effects of chemotherapy, but another might burst into tears at the thought of their possible demise. Our conversations with others cannot be a one-size-fits-all response, and a good amount of empathy is required in any given moment. I’ve never been one to ignore the elephant sitting in the middle of the room; I like to talk to it and ask if there’s anything I can do for it. And so I am finding ways to commiserate and care, without exacerbating the problem by heaping on excess sympathy. Every day brings new ways to express Love!

“Take heart, dear sufferer, for this reality of being will surely appear sometime and in some way. There will be no more pain, and all tears will be wiped away. When you read this, remember Jesus' words, ‘The kingdom of God is within you.’ This spiritual consciousness is therefore a present possibility.”

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 573:27-2

“My home awaits me. I will hasten there. If I so choose, I can depart this world entirely. It is not death which makes this possible, but it is change of mind about the purpose of the world. If I believe it has a value as I see it now, so will it still remain for me. But if I see no value in the world as I behold it, nothing that I want to keep as mine or search for as a goal, it will depart from me. For I have not sought for illusions to replace the truth.”

A Course in Miracles W-226.1:1-5

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