Of all the surprising designations you might imagine, it turns out that 2014 was the year of the salamander. Who knew? This according to an article on National Geographic’s website, which points out the richness, diversity, and value of salamanders. I haven’t given a lot of thought to the “awesome salamander”—you may not have, either. But certainly we’ve all given some thought to at least one of the many species living in the deserts, forests, oceans, or even rescue centers right now. Although the article highlighted salamanders, the author’s description of these little beings could apply to any living thing in the world today: Each creature is distinct; each creature has a special purpose unique to them; each creature, no matter how small, is important to the environment in which it lives. Sadly, from coral reefs to salamanders, these loved creatures are facing decline and even extinction. How can we best pray for the fauna and flora? A spiritual view of things is a great place to start. How does God, divine Spirit—the one and only Creator—see every object in His infinite, spiritual creation? When his work was complete, “God saw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). You may think “very good” isn’t a “very exciting” description. But when you consider that God is Good itself, that means He was declaring that all of His loved creation is like Him—complete and magnificent! Each spiritual idea, from an easy-going elephant to a scurrying salamander, has a necessary part in expressing God’s awe-inspiring nature. Since God is infinite Mind, the existence of each spiritual idea in His mental creation is imperative. Without any one of those ideas, God’s expression of Himself would be incomplete. Therein lies the spiritual permanence of each of God’s creatures—great or small. Mary Baker Eddy speaks of this permanence in her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: “All of God's creatures, moving in the harmony of Science, are harmless, useful, indestructible” (p. 514). Seen from this spiritual viewpoint, every plant, insect, and animal—living in the deepest ocean, or on the highest mountaintop—is harmless, in other words, without harm. That means they are as incapable of inflicting harm as they are of experiencing it. All spiritual ideas are useful; every living creature is the spiritual proof that God is acting, knowing, and being. Each of Spirit’s loved ideas is indestructible; it is never subject to oblivion, because God is eternal Mind and all of His creation is kept safely in thought. He delights in all of His creatures too much to allow extinction to exist in His universe. I love Mrs. Eddy’s view of the relationship between God and His forever-loved creation: “Love giveth to the least spiritual idea might, immortality, and goodness, which shine through all as the blossom shines through the bud” (Science and Health, p. 518). We can rest assured—whether it’s a salamander, seahorse, or any spiritual idea—there can be no decline, destruction, or extinction for any of them. All are kept safe in the protective embrace of God, divine Love. Scurry over to my mountaintop moments page to see photos of adorable baby Chameleons! All Things Bright and Beautiful
by Cecil F. Alexander 1848 All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful: The Lord God made them all. Each little flow’r that opens, Each little bird that sings, He made their glowing colors, He made their tiny wings. The purple-headed mountains, The river running by, The sunset and the morning That brightens up the sky. The tall trees in the greenwood, The meadows where we play, The rushes by the water, We gather every day;-- He gave us eyes to see them, And lips that we might tell How great is God Almighty, Who has made all things well. All things bright and beautiful, All creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful: The Lord God made them all.
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The ongoing taunting threats made by the Islamic State militants, interspersed with the cruel murder of innocent hostages, have been disturbing to say the least. But as intimidating and real as these threats may seem, they have no power or authority behind them. Fear, intimidation, cruelty, and hatred are impotent before God, divine Love. How does one claim the impotence of evil in the midst of all the forms of wickedness that seem to be running rampant in the world today?
Our prayers for the world need to start with God, and not fear. God is omnipotent. That doesn’t mean He’s a really strong God who’s fighting for us on some level. Omnipotence means all-powerful. God isn’t one of many powers, but the one and only supreme power operating today—here and everywhere. This fact, coupled with the understanding that God is good itself, negates the possibility that evil can exist or take action. Oh, it can seem real, much as the erroneous equation 2+2=10 can mistakenly be written on a whiteboard. But, just as this incorrect equation doesn’t have the laws of mathematics behind it to make it true, neither do evil’s jeering taunts have the one Principle, divine Love, behind them to allow them reality or authority. Would an infinite God, who is all-powerful and Love itself, allow His creation to bow to evil—His perceived opposite? The answer must be no. In the book of Proverbs it says, “The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous” (Prov. 14:19). Evil has no choice but to go down before the omnipotence of good. In Bible times, the shepherd boy David proved the saving power of God when he volunteered to fight against the giant Philistine, Goliath. (See I Samuel, chapter 17.) Goliath never ceased to taunt Saul and the army of Israel. Like the terrorists we see today, he was loud, larger than life, and was relentless in his jeering. The whole army of Israel was paralyzed with fear at the possibility that one of them would have to single-handedly take down this brute. But David had proved the power of trusting God for his strength when he had slain a bear and a lion to protect his sheep. And he knew that same good and omnipotent Principle, Love, was at work with him that day against the bellowing Goliath. He armed himself with five smooth stones, his slingshot, and the understanding that anything that defied God’s goodness couldn’t stand. And he came out on top; with only one stone, David took Goliath down. David was victorious, not because he was a good shot, but because he trusted the power of divine goodness to work through him, and to vanquish the impersonal evil Goliath represented. That’s right: Evil is never about people. In the words of Mary Baker Eddy, “Evil is nothing, no thing, mind, nor power” (Science and Health, p. 330). Evil is impersonal, and that’s why its eradication comes, not from the destruction of people or groups, but through the acceptance of the power and allness of Good, God. Good is an armor that cannot be penetrated by evil. Rest assured that those who have experienced harm at the hand of terrorism are still safe in Love’s embrace. Not only can human hatred not harm man’s spiritual nature and substance, it can’t even touch him. It takes spiritual sense to accept this fact. We must ask God, the good creator of all, for our facts, and refuse to accept erroneous information no matter how disturbingly believable or convincing it seems to be. Next time evil images, words, or threats attempt to terrorize you, remember the shepherd boy, David, and his victory over Goliath. The omnipotence of God triumphed over evil then, and its presence is still triumphing over and neutralizing evil in the world today. |
AuthorI hope these insights will inspire readers to think more spiritually about themselves and the world around them! Archives
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