Light, Where Darkness Was Before

I read a letter written by Sigmund Freud to Albert Einstein, who had written him asking if there was a way to free humankind from the threat of war. Mr. Freud has quite a bit to say on this subject. One phrase which brought pause was, “…the lust for aggression and destruction”. I had never thought of it that way, and it caused me to stop and think. Part of his conclusion is as follows: “The upshot of these observations, as bearing on the subject in hand, is that there is no likelihood of our being able to suppress humanity's aggressive tendencies. In some happy corners of the earth, they say, where nature brings forth abundantly whatever man desires, there flourish races whose lives go gently by, unknowing of aggression or constraint. This I can hardly credit; I would like further details about these happy folk.” In our world, we see famine and harsh conditions in many places. I question whether this is the way creation is supposed to evolve. I’m pretty sure when we follow the laws of nature, life as we know it would become Life as we wish it were! As light bearers, we lead the way with every thought and action. Nothing is more powerful than the divine Love which moves through us into the world.

“Nothing is gained by fighting, but much is lost. Peace is the promise and reward of rightness. Governments have no right to engraft into civilization the burlesque of uncivil economics. War is in itself an evil, barbarous, devilish. Victory in error is defeat in Truth. War is not in the domain of good; war weakens power and must finally fall, pierced by its own sword.”
Mary Baker Eddy Miscellaneous Writings Page 278:22-28

“Illusion meets illusion; truth, itself. The meeting of illusions leads to war. Peace, looking on itself, extends itself. War is the condition in which fear is born, and grows and seeks to dominate. Peace is the state where love abides, and seeks to share itself. Conflict and peace are opposites. Where one abides the other cannot be; where either goes the other disappears. So is the memory of God obscured in minds that have become illusions’ battleground. Yet far beyond this senseless war it shines, ready to be remembered when you side with peace.”
A Course in Miracles Page T-23.I.12:1-9

Society is a Foolish Juror

Continuing the theme of communication with the incomprehensible, I am remembering a woman at choir rehearsal. I don't know her well. She began to complain that she hadn't been able to watch her "programs" because of those "horrid people lying about the president". Rather than chastise her or ignore her, I listened to her. She rambled on about tuning in to TCM and watching an old movie called The Red Shoes. She is an Englishwoman and she mentioned it was the first movie her mother took her to see when she was 8 years old. I began asking her questions and it turns out she wanted to become a ballerina and had been told she couldn't marry because she must devote all her time to dance. Well, when she was 18, she met and married a man from Oklahoma, who was in the military stationed in England. He didn't know what ballet was and didn't want to, but she loved him and he loved her, and so she gave up her studies, married, and moved to the United States. That was more than 60 years ago. In talking to her, I found she was a lovely woman, if not an educated one. And I liked her. 

"Society is a foolish juror, listening only to one side of the case. Justice often comes too late to secure a verdict. People with mental work before them have no time for gossip about false law or testimony. To reconstruct timid justice and place the fact above the falsehood, is the work of time. " Mary Baker Eddy, Science & Health Page 238:25-28

“Yet you must learn to doubt their evidence will clear the way to recognize yourself, and let the Voice for God alone be Judge of what is worthy of your own belief. He will not tell you that your brother should be judged by what your eyes behold in him, nor what his body’s mouth says to your ears, nor what your fingers’ touch reports of him. He passes by such idle witnesses, which merely bear false witness to God’s Son. He recognizes only what God loves, and in the holy light of what He sees do all the ego’s dreams of what you are vanish before the splendor He beholds.” A Course in Miracles  W-151.7:1-4

The Good That Is Unfolding

 

Afternoon Tea - art by Catrin Welz-Stein

I heard a term which sent me directly to a search engine: Adulting. Its definition is: “the practice of behaving in a way characteristic of a responsible adult, especially the accomplishment of mundane but necessary tasks”. I have found it difficult to “adult” at times when I let myself become overwhelmed by too many activities. If my mind is racing in circles with a multitude of duties whirling around in it, I may flit from one to another with no focus anywhere. At those times, it’s easy to think there is too much on my plate and I’d rather retreat into a good book. Through the years, I’ve learned to sit quietly, listening for the rhythms of divine order to lead the way, and then to be present in the Now. Some people like to make lists and prioritize, others want someone to tell them what to do first, but few of us know that there is an omnipresence which can help us navigate life’s activities. It can be difficult to override our ego’s dictates, admitting that we may not know what is best, releasing control, and flowing with the good which is unfolding right in front of us. But I’m going to keep trying, because I’ve seen how much easier it is than thinking I know it all!

“The objects of time and sense disappear in the illumination of spiritual understanding, and Mind measures time according to the good that is unfolding.” 

Mary Baker Eddy, Science & Health Page 584

“Do you really believe you can make a voice that can drown out God’s? Do you really believe you can devise a thought system that can separate you from Him? Do you really believe you can plan for your safety and joy better than He can? You need be neither careful nor careless; you need merely cast your cares upon Him because He careth for you. You are His care because He loves you. His Voice reminds you always that all hope is yours because of His care. You cannot choose to escape His care because that is not His Will, but you can choose to accept His care and use the infinite power of His care for all those He created by it.” 

A Course in Miracles T-5.VII.1:1-7

We’re Here To Help Each Other

When politicians and other leaders act in heartless ways, it may seem okay for individuals to do the same. Some churches believe they need to care for their members, and then if there’s anything left over, they’ll look across the fence.  And speaking of fences, gated communities and whole towns think they can build walls and live in their own cocoon. It's long past the time for us to look at what really matters. We are here to help each other. Yet many people and institutions seem to have a self-centered, me-first attitude. A wise man once said the measure of a country is in how it treats its animals. We can also gauge our society by how we treat the homeless, the hungry, the children, and others in need. I want leaders who care about human growth, about our planet, our rivers, our food supplies. Corporations are not people. They don't cry or care. Look your neighbor in the eye, listen to a friend in need, say a kind word to the serviceperson helping you, vote for people who do the same. We can make a difference!

“To my sense, the most imminent dangers confronting the coming century are: the robbing of people of life and liberty under the warrant of the Scriptures; the claims of politics and of human power, industrial slavery, and insufficient freedom of honest competition; and ritual, creed, and trusts in place of the Golden Rule, ‘Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.’”

Mary Baker Eddy - from The New York World, December, 1900 (An article entitled Insufficient Freedom)

“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.6:2-7

Beyond Darkness, Into Light

I know many people who are social activists. They have worked for years to improve our environment, politics, and the multitude of things in need of advancement. Some have told me they are tired of the fight. I am extremely grateful to each and every one of you who work to clean up rivers, who are passionate about producing uncontaminated food, who stand up to various tyrants and declare, "The emperor has no clothes!" Not a single person has told me that they're tired of the physical effort involved in these projects; it's the butting up against thought stuck in strong opinion, or that which is fueled by hate and fear, which is frustrating to them. This is where our metaphysical advice can be helpful: Don't try to change anyone else's mind, only your own. More and more of us are witnessing the effect of truth when it is brought to seemingly impossible situations, and we're finding that new avenues of action appear when this is done. There is no need to defend ourselves or proclaim our own strong opinions in support of this Truth. Knowing it, within our own selves, is sufficient!

“As when an acid and alkali meet and bring out a third quality, so mental and moral chemistry changes the material base of thought, giving more spirituality to consciousness and causing it to depend less on material evidence.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 422:14-18

“In you is all of Heaven. Every leaf that falls is given life in you. Each bird that ever sang will sing again in you. And every flower that ever bloomed has saved its perfume and its loveliness for you. What aim can supersede the Will of God and of His Son, that Heaven be restored to him for whom it was created as his only home? Nothing before and nothing after it. No other place; no other state nor time. Nothing beyond nor nearer. Nothing else. In any form. This can you bring to all the world, and all the thoughts that entered it and were mistaken for a little while. How better could your own mistakes be brought to truth than by your willingness to bring the light of Heaven with you, as you walk beyond the world of darkness into light?” 

A Course in Miracles T-25.IV.5:1-12

Translating, Understanding, Communicating

Photo credit: Aaron Springston

Translating words from one language to another can be difficult. I read a column which is dedicated to words, their origins, and usage. They told an amusing anecdote recently about the old adage “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak”. An online translating program turned this phrase into: “the vodka is good, but the meat is rotten.” Ha!! It often seems as though the people to whom we are speaking hear things in a very different way from what we meant to convey. Perhaps we should say: Now, repeat that back to me. Actually, I’m pretty sure a great many people quit listening as soon as they think they know what you are going to say. Their brains jump into respond mode and they have no true understanding of what you are trying to convey. Translations, listening skills, critical thinking ability, communicating clearly — whew! With all these factors involved in a conversation, perhaps it’s no wonder we mistake others’ intentions. This is yet another reason I love the practice of divine metaphysics. We are learning to live in the present, and that includes listening in the now. Happy communicating to everyone on this beautiful almost-summer day!

“Laws must be communicated if they are to be helpful. In effect, they must be translated for those who speak different languages. Nevertheless, a good translator, although he must alter the form of what he translates, never changes the meaning. In fact, his whole purpose is to change the form so that the original meaning is retained. The Holy Spirit is the Translator of the laws of God to those who do not understand them. You could not do this yourself because a conflicted mind cannot be faithful to one meaning, and will therefore change the meaning to preserve the form.” 

A Course in Miracles T-7.II.4:1-6

“The compounded minerals or aggregated substances composing the earth, the relations which constituent masses hold to each other, the magnitudes, distances, and revolutions of the celestial bodies, are of no real importance, when we remember that they all must give place to the spiritual fact by the translation of man and the universe back into Spirit. In proportion as this is done, man and the universe will be found harmonious and eternal.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 209:16-24

Tribes and Oneness

Art by Nino Mak

While talking to a friend about the tribes people associate themselves with, I paused to think about the cocoon I feel cozy within here in Eureka Springs. There are a number of groups of people with whom I feel a deep kinship, but there is no limiting identity with any particular one. I remember when my boys and I moved here three decades ago. It was to attend the Clear Spring School. One of the mothers told me this school was a way of life, and I soon found out what she meant. We worked together to raise money to keep the school viable, and leaned on each other for child care and support in every avenue of life. This was a total-immersion situation unlike any other I’ve encountered. From that new beginning, I have been involved with and loved our metaphysical group, The Arkansas Metaphysical Society (Metafizzies), along with my Eureka Thyme Gallery family. Now, I feel a deep kinship with the three congregations where I have been organist/accompanist, along with the choirs I have accompanied. There is also our duplicate bridge community, the local Course in Miracles group, and my book club, Novel Women. Every day our lives can expand to include others we meet. The practice of non-duality we study opens us to our universal family, which is fluttering just out of sight! Life is Good!

“Groups of people who have shared spiritual Love are bound together for eternity.” [paraphrased] 

Joel Goldsmith

“Peace is extended from you only to the eternal, and it reaches out from the eternal in you. It flows across all else. The second obstacle is no more solid than the first. For you want neither to get rid of peace nor limit it. What are these obstacles that you would interpose between peace and its going forth but barriers you place between your will and its accomplishment? You want communion, not the feast of fear. You want salvation, not the pain of guilt. And you want your Father, not a little mound of clay, to be your home. In your holy relationship is your Father’s Son. He has not lost communion with Him, nor with himself. When you agreed to join your brother, you acknowledged this is so. This has no cost, but it has release from cost.” 

A Course in Miracles T-19.IV-B.4:1-12