A friend recently told me about an “art in public places” program that has been going on here in northern Colorado since 2010. Donated pianos are decorated with murals by local artists, and community members are welcome to interact with the artists while they’re painting. When the pianos are finished, they’re placed in locations about town for passersby to play. Talk about a harmonious activity! All of those people appreciating art and playing pianos around town are bound to move peace up a notch in the community! It brings to mind that well-known, but often misquoted, line from English playwright, William Congreve’s poem, The Mourning Bride, written in 1697. We all know it as, “music soothes the savage beast.” In reality the first few lines of that poem say: Musick has Charms to sooth a savage Breast, To soften Rocks, or bend a knotted Oak. Yes, the thought of music soothing a savage beast might be more vivid than the charms of music soothing a savage breast (whatever that even means) but pretty impressive to me is the idea that music can charm a rock into softness, or a sturdy knotted oak into a new shape. No matter how you quote or think about those age-old ideas, we would probably all agree that there’s something about music that can empower and strengthen, as well as soothe and inspire, the most difficult people and situations. Even the most hardened heart can be softened by a sweet melody. One of my favorite examples of the power of music bringing peace is found in the Bible in the first book of Samuel, chapter 16. The story is that King Saul is plagued by “an evil spirit” that comes upon him from time to time. His helpful servants suggest he find someone who “is a cunning player on an harp.” They tell the king that when he is tormented, the music will heal him. If you’re familiar with the story, you know they call for David, the son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, to take this musical position. His harp playing does bring comfort to the king and although David and Saul’s relationship is a long and complicated one, it starts with David’s soothing music. (See 1st and 2nd Samuel.) So, what is behind the power of music to soothe and make us feel peaceful? In the study of Christian Science, one of the synonyms used for God is Soul. Soul isn’t man’s individuality trapped inside a material body waiting to escape at some point, although this is commonly believed. Soul is God itself—divine individuality. God causes each of us to express His identity in an infinite amount of individual ways. Art and music are a couple of the ways God expresses Himself through us. An artist’s perfect placement of form, outline, color, is actually the artist’s expression of spiritual qualities—beauty, vibrancy, structure, and excellence. The final project may look very material, but that feeling you get when you see the perfect combination of ideas, is your spiritual sense appreciating God’s manifestation of beauty which is completely spiritual and is as present as God, divine Spirit is at that very moment. Music works the same way. The peace that music can bring at the end of a chaotic day has its source in God, Soul. Music is an idea. Those harmonious ideas live on even if the CD or the musician is no longer available. Mary Baker Eddy puts it this way, “Mental melodies and strains of sweetest music supersede conscious sound. Music is the rhythm of head and heart” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 213). So, the next time you listen to your favorite song, be sure to recognize its divine source. Like Saul when David played for him, you’ll feel peaceful. And you'll know that the soothing nature of that melody is the rhythm of the heart and has the power to heal. For more information on pianos around town dance on over to my mountaintop moments page!
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It was the first Monday in December at 11:00 a.m. You wouldn’t think this little annex of the post office would be crowded—but it was. The line was about 10 people deep when I got there, but quickly grew longer. Yes, it looked like we were going to be there awhile; it was great! Great?! I know, it sounds odd. But over the years, I have found that the crowd in line at the post office during the holidays is unusually festive. This time of year, seems to bring out the patience, calm, and good will in people. Just like other years, the Christmas spirit was alive and well as we waited to mail our packages and buy our holiday stamps. In fact, one of the women in line shared with us that her husband works in Canada—quite a distance from here in Colorado. She stays here and takes care of the children and home while he commutes back and forth. With payday not quite in reach, and her husband in Canada with the only credit card they had, the furnace broke. Quite a predicament in chilly Colorado! When her neighbor found out, he immediately offered to pay for all of the repairs until they were in a position to reimburse him. She asked all of us if we could believe that?! She was overjoyed at her neighbor’s generosity, kindness, and immediate help. She felt it was a great example of the Christmas spirit. We all agreed, and it made me think about how the Christmas spirit could be described as the “on earth peace, good will toward men” tangibly felt and, many times, acted on this time of year. My thought went back over the centuries to when those words were first spoken. Shepherds were tending their flocks one night, when out of the starry darkness, an angel appeared to them. It shared with them the good news that a Savior, the Christ child, had been born. Then a multitude of heavenly messengers showed up and praised God saying those words we hear so often this time of year, “On earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14). Peace and good will are natural effects of the presence of the Christ. Christ is the divine title of Jesus, and also his spiritual identity. “This Christ, or divinity of the man Jesus, was his divine nature, the godliness which animated him” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, p. 12). I like to think that the divine nature that animated Jesus, is the same godliness that’s animating each of us today. The Christ never had a beginning, nor will it ever have an end. Christ Jesus spoke of this when he said, “Before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). Mrs. Eddy put it this way, “Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and the prophets caught glorious glimpses of the Messiah, or Christ, which baptized these seers in the divine nature, the essence of Love.” (Science and Health, p. 333). This essence of Love is like a message from God to each one of us, reaffirming our spiritual nature as His beloved son or daughter. In fact, Mrs. Eddy describes this aspect of the Christ as, “…the true idea voicing good, the divine message from God to men speaking to the human consciousness” (Science and Health, p. 332). So, this divine message directly from God, is more than a feely-good moment that moves us to do things like donate food to a nearby food bank, although that impulsion is included. It points our thought upward to more spiritual ways of seeing ourselves, others, and the world; and that brings healing. It brings healing because once we understand more of our completely spiritual identity, the effects of matter-based thinking—sickness, lack, and chaos—just don’t fit with what God, divine Love is telling us about ourselves, and therefore, those effects disappear. The Christ message comforts, guides, restores, redeems, and leads us to healing. Knowing this, we can rejoice with Paul in the Bible when he said, “Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15). My daughter said it best: We all need t-shirts that say, “We survived 2016.” Another friend said the results of the election seemed like the apocalypse to her. But, my daughter, my friend, and many others I know are good at praying. We all were praying before the election, and no doubt we’ll continue. I never pray for something specific: Give me a car God, and make it shiny, red, and fast! No, my prayers are more about acknowledging God’s supremacy and His eternal love for His creation. A strong and confident affirmation that His will is done, here and now, "on earth as it is in heaven" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 17). I wouldn’t dream of asking God that a particular candidate or a certain political party would come out on top, any more than I would pray for the Denver Broncos to win the super bowl again—no matter how tempting that is. So, after the election, as before it, I have to trust that prayer is effective. I know that every desire to see God’s hand in the election and in the smooth operation of the government has been answered. Now we look for the good in action that we prayed for. We pray to see the qualities of God like humility, kindness, compassion, and intelligence, be expressed in those who won and those who didn’t. It’s part of democracy. As individuals of this democratic nation, we think, we research, we pray, we cast our one vote. Then we pray to be humble enough to accept the decision of the majority, even if it’s not our own. This morning I got up, took my shower, and ate breakfast as I always do. I put Lily on her leash and told her we were going out into the world to see what hadn’t changed. Yes, the Colorado sky is still beautiful and blue as can be. The fall leaves are crunching under our feet, as they should be. The air is fresh and cool, just like it was yesterday. And God, Good itself, is still everywhere present. Divine Love is still omnipotent—the only power that exists. This isn’t the first day of something horrible. This is God’s day, and “the government shall be upon his shoulder” (Isaiah, chapter 9). God, divine Love is King, Queen, and President. His law of good prevails today and always, and we are all safe in His loving care. This time of year, my local library and museum host sugar skull making events and other “Day of the Dead” programs. If you’re unfamiliar with this holiday you might think it sounds spooky—kind of hooked to Halloween in some way. But, it isn’t meant to be scary at all. More of a cultural holiday than a religious one, beginning in central and southern Mexico, November 2nd is a day set aside for remembering family members who have died. The colorful, much anticipated, day of the dead parties include setting up altars in people’s homes in honor of the deceased. The altars are decked out with fragrant offerings, such as marigolds and incense, as well as favorite food items family members used to enjoy. All of these efforts are so the spirits of loved ones can “find their way home” for a day of visiting. OK, lure our dead loved ones back for a day?! This cultural tradition might sound a little odd to you. I know I felt that way when I first learned of el día de los muertos in a Spanish language class I took. Although I don’t see eye to eye with the details of this celebration day, I do think we all have a desire to feel connected with those we’ve loved. In the study of Christian Science, I’ve learned that the connection we have with others is never an act of spiritualism—calling on ghosts or spirits. It’s actually our understanding of God as divine and infinite Spirit, and His creation—which includes all of us through eternity as completely spiritual—that gives us the best view of how we are all connected. Since God is Spirit, and He fills all space, the spiritual identity of everyone is held securely and eternally in God. You could say, since the infinite has no edges, no beginnings, no endings, that we are all in the same infinite space. We are all together because none of us can ever be outside of infinite Spirit. We all “live, and move, and have our being” in God. (See Acts, chapter 17.) The Psalmist must have thought about this, too when he wrote, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?” (Psalm 139:7). If our loved ones are always with God, and we are, too, it follows, that we are together now and through eternity. So, what exactly are we connected with? We aren’t connected with our loved ones on a material level. We can’t hear them, or see them. But, we can feel this connection through our spiritual sense—the feeling of comfort, peace, and joy that come to us when we remember the lasting things we appreciate about our loves ones. Things like kindness, generosity, intelligence, wisdom, goodness, and so on, are actually the spiritual qualities that make up their eternal and spiritual identity. When we recognize these qualities expressed in ourselves and others, we can feel that divine connection that never fades. Mary Baker Eddy describes the connection we have with others this way, “Where God is we can meet, and where God is we can never part” (The First Church of Christ, Scientist and Miscellany, p. 131). So, you don’t need to make any sugar skulls or construct any altars to stay connected with your loved ones. You’re already connected, because their spiritual qualities and yours all have the same source—divine Spirit, where we all reside. Oh no! What if we’re late to the airport?! It was just one in a series of “oh nos” that had crossed my mind recently. I didn’t want my friend to miss her flight! As often happens though, all that “oh no-ing” wasn’t necessary. Even with the traffic, we made it in plenty of time.
Sometimes solutions to world events, or problems in our own lives, seem impossible. Our racing thoughts can sound like this: Oh no! What if we never see world peace?! Oh no! What about the U.S. Presidential Race? Oh no! I’ll never get this project finished for work! OH NO! We can either indulge in the “oh nos” or find a better solution. But, how? The book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament can give us some clues. Even though he lived thousands of years ago, I can see parallels between Nehemiah’s life and ours. He didn’t let a few “oh nos” distract him from his work, and we don’t have to either. Whether you’re familiar with his story or not, it’s a great one to look into. If it were a play, the first scene would open with the Jewish man receiving word that Jerusalem, the city of his ancestors, is in ruins. OH NO! But, Nehemiah is used to praying about problems, so he takes his sadness to God. He pours out his heart, acknowledges God’s power and mercy, and trusts God with his next steps. In the same way, when we have a problem—no matter if it’s a daunting world issue or something worrisome in our own house—we can begin by quieting our fears, or “oh nos.” In this mental stillness we can ask God, divine Love, to help us find just the right solution. Psalm 138 includes a comforting fact: “The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me” (verse 8). Yes, if it concerns you, God’s already on it. As God told the prophet Isaiah, “before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24). Similarly, Mary Baker Eddy said, “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 494). The next scene in the story documents divine Love’s answer to Nehemiah’s prayer. It takes place in the palace of the King of Persia, Artaxerxes; Nehemiah is his cupbearer. This particular day, Nehemiah is preoccupied with thinking about Jerusalem’s ruined walls and burned down gates. The perceptive king asks him what’s wrong. Nehemiah worries: What if he doesn’t understand?! OH NO! But, he takes a deep breath, trusts his prayer to God, listens for God’s direction, and tells the king everything. King Artaxerxes not only gives Nehemiah permission to go to Jerusalem to fix the walls and gates, but offers him timber from the royal forests and letters of protection to take with him on his journey. Nehemiah gets the go-ahead for this great project and thanks God for answering his prayer. In the study of Christian Science, another name for God is Mind. Every right idea is supplied by divine Mind. We know the right answer because God has equipped us with intelligence to solve any problem that presents itself to us. Even the smallest detail is covered. The rest of the story has Nehemiah finding the manpower, supplies, and courage to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall. Over and over Nehemiah’s enemies, who lived in close proximity to the building project, tried everything to thwart his efforts. They mocked Nehemiah and made up lies about him. OH NO! But, knowing that the project was provided for by God, Nehemiah and his workers continued on without delay or distraction. At one point, they were working with a tool in one hand and a weapon in the other. Now, that’s determination! Sometimes when we’re doing our best work, things try to get in our way, too. Our distractions might be an envious co-worker who misrepresents us to our boss; financial difficulties that threaten to delay things; or even worries that we don’t have what it takes to live up to our full potential. OH NO! But God, being good itself, always has our back. We stick with the ideas from God and keep pushing forward knowing that whatever is backed by Him is complete in every way and is successful up to the very last detail of the work. This fact is our weapon. It can take down any obstacle that would keep us from witnessing all of the good that is present in us, in others, and in the project itself. Ironically, one of the last tricks by Nehemiah’s enemies is an invitation to meet them in the plain of Ono. If you were invited to distraction and harm in the plain of OH NO! would you fall for it? Of course not, and neither did Nehemiah. He declined the invitation and finished the last detail of the work—putting up the gates. So, the next time you find yourself taken in by the “oh nos” remember Nehemiah. God was right there to offer solutions for him and his people centuries ago, and the same divine Love is right here today to meet your needs. Circumstances and characters may change, but the constancy of divine Love’s help and divine Mind’s answers are ever-present and universal throughout eternity. Dominion. You need it. If you’re feeling like things are out of control in some way, you probably aren’t alone. Between world issues, political issues, and just everyday personal issues, it can seem that everything has gone haywire—completely out of control! But, you have dominion. Dominion. What is it? Dominion is control. It’s the right to rule over something that’s weighing you down. When it comes right down to it, it’s the only antidote to feeling out of control. Dominion. You have it. The only antidote to chaos, injustice, fear? You really do need it! The good news is: You already have it. That’s right. In the first chapter of Genesis, God gives man dominion over the earth and everything on it. (See Genesis 1:26,27.) There is no problem that can come your way that you don’t already have dominion over. How can I be so sure? Dominion. It’s from God. Because God is the only power that exists. Since God is omnipotent, and we are made in His image and likeness, the dominion or control you and I have over any discordant situation is actually His power actively working in our lives. The Psalmist realized this when he wrote about man: “You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet” (Psalm 8:5,6 New King James Version). Dominion. It’s a law. In the study of Christian Science, one of the synonyms used for God is Principle. When I think of Principle, I think of divine law. The discoverer of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, says, “The Principle of Christian Science is divine. Its rule is, that man shall utilize the divine power” (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 69). We get to use God’s power?! Imagine your dad owns the fastest and flashiest sports car around. And guess what? He lets you borrow it whenever you want! No questions asked. Not only that—the gas tank is always full! It may seem like a stretch, but that’s the way it is with God’s power. It isn’t that God allots us our own power. We are tapped in to His. This fact gives you dominion over anything that would throw you for a loop. It could be news of horrific events halfway around the globe. It could be a disagreement with a friend or family member. It could be an illness that keeps threatening to keep you from work. No matter what it is, God’s omnipotence, including the dominion you’re expressing because of it, is the most powerful thing going on in your life. Dominion: Use it—it works! Not too long ago, I took a friend to take her citizenship test. We had been preparing for the interview questions off and on for about two years. She did well, but didn’t pass. She felt she had been unfairly treated in her interview, and from what she had told me, I agreed. We were both devastated. We knew the average waiting time for a second interview was two months. I shared the sad news with another friend and she reminded me that we didn’t have to expect to wait a long time, but that we could see my Spanish speaking friend as a loved citizen in God’s kingdom right then. The comment reminded me that I had dominion over what seemed to be an unjust situation. I encouraged my friend to stop feeling sad, put her foot down, and tap into the confidence that God was in charge of every detail of her life. It felt good for both of us to stop feeling helpless about what had just happened, and also to stop feeling apprehensive about the second interview. Dominion. I could feel it. I felt dominion over any possibility of failure and injustice on our drive down to the second interview just one month later. I knew she felt it too, because she said she wasn’t going to be nervous this time. She passed, and even received her citizenship document at a ceremony the same day. Of course, we were elated! Dominion. The only possibility. The next time you’re presented with a disturbing situation on the news, or in your community, or in your own home, exercise your God-given dominion. It’s omnipotence in action—how can you fail? Entirely separate from the belief and dream of material living, is the Life divine, revealing spiritual understanding and the consciousness of man's dominion over the whole earth. This understanding casts out error and heals the sick, and with it you can speak "as one having authority."
~Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy I couldn’t take my eyes off of them! From a 3rd floor apartment window in Boston I saw a professional dog walker with nine leashed clients moving down the street as one. The dogs were all unique—small, big, spotted, and plain—but, each one was moving as part of the whole. Their individuality didn’t divide them. Their common purpose united them.
OK, it was only a dog walker and a pack of dogs agreeing to move together from point A to point B. But, with all of the divisiveness reported in the news lately, remembering the unification it symbolized is like a breath of fresh air! In fact, the unity of the dog walker and his furry friends is a great metaphor for how I think about God and His creation. Like the dog walker, God is always at the center. He’s guiding, correcting, and keeping everything in His one and only spiritual creation operating efficiently and harmoniously as one. Just like those obedient dogs, each of us, unique and individual, has the ability to listen for God's direction, and move along with Him. That’s the reality of things. However, when we watch the news and hear about the divisions in the world—from political arguments to terrorist attacks—it doesn’t seem like anyone is moving along together at all. But, each day we can catch glimpses of the reality of things—the unity that God is causing and maintaining right here and now. It takes willingness and some diligence not to get taken in with all that seems to divide us, and instead, magnify those moments that unite us. You know that feeling you get when you let a car cut in front of you in traffic? How about when everyone is on the same page in that business meeting you went to this week? We can actively notice the moments in our day when things just click. They have a rhythm of their own, and it feels good. That peaceful feeling is actually our spiritual sense. It is evidence of the action of God, the infinite and only Mind, working in each one of us and moving us along as one. These experiences point to something spiritual and stupendous in which we're all included. I’m talking about this: “As an active portion of one stupendous whole, goodness identifies man with universal good” (First Church of Christ, Scientist and Miscellany, p. 165). Each of us then, is an integral and good part in God's universe. God is, right now, identifying you, and everyone else, with universal good. This is our true nature as God’s loved children. Again, no one is left out. It would be impossible for even one of us in the entire world to be outside of infinite good. God, infinite good itself, fills all space. The more willing we are to see this fact, the more opportunities we’ll find to express good and to see it expressed in the world. Thought by thought, we’ll see that no one can ever be less than an active part of the allness of good. And, just like those dogs who probably had a treat waiting for them at the end of their journey, our reward is a growing understanding that God, the all-powerful good that maintains peace in the world, is present, active, and that each one of us is moving as one with Him. Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, recently said, “It’s very important that we don’t fake unifying, we don’t pretend unification, but that we truly and actually unify…” Of course, he is referring to the need for the different wings of the Republican party to unify. But, it made me think of unity in a deeper way. One of the most important points in the study of Christian Science is man’s oneness with God, divine Principle. This divine Principle is the law of good that underlies our being. Why is it so important to recognize this unity? Look what it did for Jesus! He said, “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30). Living this truth equipped him with the understanding to overcome things like raging seas, leprosy, paralysis, and even death. Nineteenth century healer, Mary Baker Eddy, also recognized the importance of man’s unity with God. She said, “The scientific unity which exists between God and man must be wrought out in life-practice, and God’s will must be universally done” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 202). For both of these healers, unity with God wasn’t a choice. And it isn’t a choice for us, either. We can’t fake this unity with God—just wish that it were true. Our oneness with God is a present and powerful fact that each of us can exercise in our lives today and every day. I had opportunity to glimpse the power of my unity with God just the other day. I was driving home from a long weekend in Nebraska. I ran into a torrential rain storm, complete with black clouds, wind, lightning and thunder. As I exited onto the interstate and passed through Cheyenne, Wyoming, I suddenly came upon a stretch of road that had already accumulated about an inch of pea sized hail. My car slid, and I lost control. I applied the brakes and hung on to the steering wheel. In that split second I heard myself say loudly, “God!” This wasn’t a request for God to come down from “on high” and help me. For me, this one word was an affirmation of all I knew about God and my oneness with Him. This included facts that I think about every day. Things like: Because God is infinite, there is no place where His power isn’t felt. He is my refuge, my safe place. Since He fills all space, He and I can never be separated. I could feel the strength, confidence, and peace that come with the daily living of these truths. The indestructibility of my unity with God was like a shield that kept me safe. My car went into the ditch and hit some barbed wire fencing, but the damage was minor. I easily backed out and was back on my way in no time. The whole incident took place in a minute or two. During that time, I didn’t feel helpless—I actually felt dominion. That may seem counterintuitive. But, for me, those couple of minutes of dominion over vulnerability go along with a quote by Mrs. Eddy that I know well. “The Principle of Christian Science is divine. Its rule is, that man shall utilize the divine power” (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 69). Wow! That’s a powerful thought! Using God’s supreme power is a rule He has laid down. In other words, our indestructible unity with His omnipotence, gives us dominion over whatever problems may come our way. That dominion, or my individual expression of the divine power, was what I felt in the car that day. It was right at hand, and it didn’t fail me. I didn’t have to go looking for help, it was already included in my inseparable oneness with the all-powerful divine Principle, God. Like Paul Ryan, I also say unification is important. And the best news you’ll hear all day is that you’re already at one with the only power of the universe. Acknowledging that fact and living it moment by moment, gives you dominion, too! "As a drop of water is one with the ocean, a ray of light one with the sun, even so God and man, Father and son, are one in being." ~Mary Baker Eddy Remember agonizing over those pesky math problems in school? Visions of hair-pulling homework hours cross my mind. Those memories are what make Andrew Wiles’ victory over one 358-year old math problem so commendable to me. The seeming simplicity of Fermat’s Last Theorem, dating back to 1647, caught the attention of the now Oxford University Professor when he was 10 years old. He worked at cracking the problem in his teen years, and then took up the work again while teaching in the mathematics department at Princeton University. Working for more than a decade, he was able to prove the theorem in 1994. You can click here to read more about Professor Wiles and the substantial award he won for his work. Of course, we all solve problems each day. How will I pay this bill? What will I make for dinner? How do I change this flat tire? But, what stands out to me about Professor Wiles is his single-minded devotion to this one math problem. Certainly he solved other problems along the way, but it’s obvious that Fermat’s Last Theorem was something he thought about and worked on for a substantial part of his life. It reminds me of 19th century woman, Mary Baker Eddy, who exercised unswerving dedication to healing others and perfecting and writing down a scientific system of mental healing that anyone can practice today. She said, “The devotion of thought to an honest achievement makes the achievement possible” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p.199). She definitely would have applauded Wiles’ work ethic! In 1866, after falling on the ice and sustaining injuries in which she was not expected to recover, Mrs. Eddy turned to her Bible for comfort. Pondering one of Christ Jesus’ healings in the New Testament, “she was filled with the conviction that her life was in God—that God was the only Life, the only I AM” (Robert Peel, Mary Baker Eddy: The Years of Discovery, p. 197). With that realization, she was healed from her injuries. The insights she gained at that time and after, she referred to as her discovery. In the textbook of Christian Science, which she published in 1875, Mrs. Eddy describes the first few years of working out her Bible-based system of healing. “For three years after my discovery, I sought the solution of this problem of Mind-healing, searched the Scriptures and read little else, kept aloof from society, and devoted time and energy to discovering a positive rule. The search was sweet, calm, and buoyant with hope, not selfish nor depressing” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 109). She detailed her discovery in the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. She continued to edit and revise her book for the rest of her life. Mrs. Eddy had the reader in mind as each revision of Science and Health clarified her rules of healing, all of which she proved. She understood the importance of her life work and knew she needed to leave the most accurate statement of Christian Science for her students, and generations of students of this Science yet to come. I have no doubt that the study of mathematics has been changed by the work of Andrew Wiles. In an interview about his math proof he said, “I knew…I would never let it go. I had to solve it.” Mary Baker Eddy said, "I shall fulfil my mission, fight the good fight, and keep the faith." I also have no doubt that the world will continue to benefit from her revolutionary ideas about God, the illusive nature of matter, and the present, and spiritual nature of man—all of which bring healing. If you’d like to find out more about Mrs. Eddy’s ideas, you can read from Science and Health here, or visit the website sponsored by The Mary Baker Eddy Library for the Betterment of Humanity. I’m convinced! Origami artists are in touch with the Divine. It’s no wonder. In the Japanese language, where homonyms are abundant, the word ori can mean “fold” or “pray,” and kami can mean “paper” or “god,” depending on what characters are used to write them. I learned this at an Origami exhibit at my local museum. I could feel the artists’ inspiration in their paper sculptures. Some were large and tent-like, made with corrugated cardboard and held together with big rivets. Some were delicate spirals of creased and twisted paper caught inside blown glass spheres. As I stood in front of a nine-foot long panel filled with rows and rows of folded white paper peaks and valleys it hit me: God causes order to be expressed in tangible ways, here and everywhere, right now. And His order is universal and peaceful. The revelation that God’s universe is ordered by Him—divine Love—doesn’t just apply to things like beautiful artwork. Divine Love peacefully orders everything going on in the world today. I get it: Peaceful order isn’t always obvious where disorder seems to reign supreme. But understanding God’s, divine Principle’s, infinite nature makes it apparent that His law of universal good must govern every corner of the universe and can be the only law there is. The infinite can’t be or do anything less. Jesus lived the fact that God’s order is the only law that’s present, and he taught that we can do the same. What appeared to be limitations had no authority over Jesus. He walked on the water. He healed diseases, which so-called material laws had claimed were congenital, acute, or chronic. He raised himself and others from the dead. These demonstrations proved that the natural and present order of divine law is always operational, even when chaotic material circumstances claim to be the governing power. Like Jesus, we can faithfully and continuously recognize God’s ordered plan—wholeness and goodness for all. Mary Baker Eddy said of Jesus, “In this simplicity, and with such fidelity, we see Jesus ministering to the spiritual needs of all who placed themselves under his care, always leading them into the divine order, under the sway of his own perfect understanding” (Retrospection and Introspection, p. 91). Divine order in Jesus’ day looked like health, joy, mobility, and freedom. Since God’s law of good is eternal, the result of its operation is the same for us today—wellness, peace, kindness, brotherly love, purity, faith, and so on. I’m convinced! Artist or not, we can follow Jesus’ lead and see God’s law establishing order in the world. Like the folds on that panel of Origami artwork, God’s order has to be tangible and obvious. Affirming its supremacy and omnipresence is a powerful prayer that goes to the heart of every man, woman, and child. It dissolves illness, hatred, and disorder of every kind. God’s law inspires, and best of all, it transforms. "Let there be light," is the perpetual demand of Truth and Love, changing chaos into order and discord into the music of the spheres. ~Mary Baker Eddy |
AuthorI hope these insights will inspire readers to think more spiritually about themselves and the world around them! Archives
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