You Can't Bully a Wave

 

South Africa - PC: Heather Peters

“Have you ever tried to bully a wave in the ocean?” This is the question a 104-year-old Buddhist nun asks her great-granddaughter in a beautiful novel titled, A Tale For the Time Being, by Ruth Ozeki. The two went into a store to get food for a picnic on the beach. A group of gangster girls were hanging around outside the store and harassed them as they went in. When they came out, the old woman bowed deeply to the group of young women before walking away. After they got onto the train to go to their destination, the older woman wondered aloud if it was a holiday of some sort, mentioning that the girls were all dressed so brightly and seemed so happy. The granddaughter tried to explain that they were gang colors, and that they were being derisive in their words and laughter. The grandmother didn’t see it that way and asked her young charge if she had ever tried to bully a wave, explaining that no matter how much you hit at it or yell into it, it stays what it is. That is its function, and that is our function as well -- to stay what we are. I love that!


“Can we gather peaches from a pine-tree, or learn from discord the concord of being? Yet quite as rational are some of the leading illusions along the path which Science must tread in its reformatory mission among mortals. The very name, illusion, points to nothingness.”  Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 129:24

The Muddy River Bed is Indeed Stirred

 

judyclementwall.com

Every time I feel hopeless and completely demoralized by our country and its leaders, J Clement Wall comes through with a piece of art which lifts me above it, gives me hope, and brings a tear of release. She shows me time and again the priceless gift our artists present to us: hope in its purest form. Thank you, wonderful Woman! And thank you each and every person who is working to support political candidates who represent integrity and truth. Let freedom ring!

"The muddy river bed must be stirred in order to purify the stream. In moral chemicalization, when the symptoms of evil, illusion, are aggravated, we may think in our ignorance that the Lord hath wrought an evil, but we ought to know that God's law uncovers so-called sin and its effects, only that Truth may annihilate all sense of evil and all power to sin." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 540:9

Integrity

 

Fraser, Co - photo credit: Aaron Springston

When did you last tell a lie? We may tell “polite” lies, designed to not hurt our loved ones feelings, or perhaps commit the indiscretion which we refer to as white lies. But what about a lie told to benefit yourself, without care of who it hurts or what harm it causes? And what of cheating? Maybe you moved your Monopoly piece too many squares during family game night, but how about taking goods and services from people and refusing to pay for them, or maybe outright taking a possession from someone? I don’t know many, if any, people who do this. Everyone I interact with has a higher sense of integrity and a moral standard which precludes such actions. Actually, most people I know would never consider lying or stealing or cheating, be it a small indiscretion or a major event. It always comes as a surprise to me when I witness blatant misconduct in public officials, movie stars, ministers — anyone, anywhere. I remind myself constantly that everything is either expressing Love or calling out for love. And so I shall not look the other way, and I will do my best to answer that call. Namaste...

"Take away wealth, fame, and social organizations, which weigh not one jot in the balance of God, and we get clearer views of Principle. Break up cliques, level wealth with honesty, let worth be judged according to wisdom, and we get better views of humanity." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 239:5

Am I Being Manipulated?

 

Mongolia - photo credit: Aaron Springston

Most of us acknowledge that some prescription drugs cause adverse reactions, perhaps rendering us out of control and sleep-driving or eating. We know this and have a choice in whether or not to reap the meager benefits anyway. But what if we were told that our favorite food causes us to believe things which simply are not true, or made us buy things, or think the earth was flat? Would we stop eating it, or would we say, "Oh, I know when I'm being manipulated and I can eat chocolate and still think independently."? There is a new documentary out called "The Social Dilemma" and it tells us in detail how we are being manipulated by Facebook, in particular. This platform is the reason many people have become flat earthers, believing the world is flat and there is a great ice wall at the perimeter and you will be put into jail if you get there. Others believe in pizzagate and think there is a network of well-known people kidnapping children and performing horrendous atrocities. These are the extremes, but what of the influences which are much more subtle? I leave you with this quote from a review posted at Independent.co.uk, of this NetFlix documentary: "“It’s easy to think that it’s just a few stupid people who get convinced,” warns the engineer who created the rogue Youtube algorithm, “but the algorithm is getting smarter and smarter every day. Today they’re convincing people that the Earth is flat, but tomorrow they will be convincing you of something.” I'm not sure where I come down on this theory, but certainly will think seriously about it.

"As named in Christian Science, animal magnetism or hypnotism is the specific term for error, or mortal mind. It is the false belief that mind is in matter, and is both evil and good; that evil is as real as good and more powerful. This belief has not one quality of Truth. It is either ignorant or malicious. The malicious form of hypnotism ultimates in moral idiocy." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 103:18

Made a Difference to That One!

 

It takes so little to help someone, to make them more comfortable, perhaps to ease their mind. Someone who lives close to us was outside when Kevin was walking our dogs up the street. She seemed a little peaked and so he asked her how she was doing. She said she wasn't feeling well, but wanted to get some fresh air. He offered to walk with her and they went up to the Crescent Hotel and looked around at the flowers. She mentioned that she needed to go to the grocery store as she had nothing for dinner. This is not the weekend to be getting out, even if you feel good, as there are hundreds of motorcycles in our town. So he told her that I always cook and he'd see what I had planned and he would deliver some to her in a little while. It was plain old brown beans and cornbread and apple crisp. But she was so happy with it, and he was happy to have helped her, and I was gratified to have supplied a need so easily. I was reminded of the story of the little boy throwing starfish back into the ocean, which were stranded on the shore. There were hundreds of them and a man came by and asked the child if he really thought he could make a difference to them. "I made a difference to that one!", he said as he happily flung one back into the sea. And there you are: we can make a difference, no matter how small and seemingly insignificant. Have a beautiful Sunday, Friends ~~~

"The rich in spirit help the poor in one grand brotherhood, all having the same Principle, or Father; and blessed is that man who seeth his brother's need and supplieth it, seeking his own in another's good." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 518:15

The Three Stages of Believing Truth

 

How many people need to repeat the truth before everyone begins to see it? Supposedly, Mark Twain jokingly said a lie would travel around the world while the truth was still lacing up its boots. I'm not sure that's true today with the internet connecting everyone in its web. I'd bet the truth will travel just as fast if enough people speak/write it!  It seems Aristarchus first noticed the sun was stationary somewhere around 300 B.C., then it took a few centuries before Copernicus revealed this truth, with a mathematical model in the 1500s. Even then, Copernicus was so afraid of religious leaders, who thought everything was centered around them, that he didn't tell anyone until he was on his deathbed. Sound familiar? What about the earth being flat, railroad tracks coming together, mirages, and other such illusions? How long did it take for us to understand what was happening? While most of us know these things, I saw a horrifying statistic recently which said that 1/4 of the people still believe the sun revolves around the earth every 24 hours. Hearing things like this make it even more important for each and every one of us to speak out about things we know to be true. Research is easier than ever and more fun than it was 50 years ago. So pick a fact, study up, and tell everyone you know! 

 "Agassiz, the celebrated naturalist and author, has wisely said, 'Every great scientific truth goes through three stages. First, people say it conflicts with the Bible. Next, they say it has been discovered before. Lastly, they say they have always believed it." Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 104:8

Moment of Lift

 

"Women of Eureka Springs"

photo credit: Richard Quick

Few things bring me more sorrow than to hear of a fine woman running for public office being called a baby killer. I'm reading a book by Melinda Gates titled "The Moment of Lift". In this informative and frank writing, she tells of visiting African countries and realizing what was holding people in their poverty-stricken lives. She saw women carrying water on their heads and babies in their arms, while the men sat and smoked and told stories. She talked to women about their lives, and time and again it came back to the fact that they had no control over how many babies they had. Maybe they were too young, or too old, or too sick to be having a baby, but they had no choice. Oddly enough, many were expected to have as many children as possible because most of them would die. And herein lay the solution: better health care, more abundant birth control, and education were the keys to uplifting these and other societies. This is what her foundation has been doing for more than a decade. For those who believe abortion should be illegal, I urge them to watch the PBS series, "Call the Midwife". This is a show about Catholic nuns and nurses dealing with the same issues -- lack of birth control, education, and health care -- but in 1960s England. What a difference it has made to get these issues out into the open, discuss them, and find solutions! No one wants to abort a pregnancy, and it hurts me when I hear people say that Democrats love abortions. This type of disconnect must stop. How? Education, empathy, facts, truth, love: those are the antidotes as I see them. We must talk about these things and understand that organizations such as Planned Parenthood contribute to lower abortion rates, not higher. Let's choose love over fear!

"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 574:25