The cause and the reformer

Can a cause live on when the reformer gives her life? The assassination of Benazir Bhutto on December 27, 2007, devastated her countrymen in Pakistan and stunned the international community. Bhutto was a force for democratic change.

Visionary? Yes. Committed? Absolutely. Bhutto returned to the upheaval in Pakistan from relative safety in France to lead the charge against the current regime. What is it that always seems to put reformers in harm’s way…and threatens to jeopardize the progress that they represent?

The simple answer is that reformers create enemies who insist on stopping reform by whatever means. Reformers know this. In her life Bhutto likely received numerous death threats. But clearly, this was not enough to stop her from engaging in the fight.

The reformer and his enemy are inverted images: the reformer disregards the prospect of physical harm in the interest of the greater good, while the enemy looks to preserve his own power base, regardless of the pain and suffering of others. One is selfless, the other selfish.

Mary Baker Eddy, herself a 19th century revolutionary in the fields of theology, medicine and women’s rights, wrote: “The reformer has no time to give in defense of his own life’s incentive, since no sacrifice is too great for the silent endurance of his love. What has not uselfed love achieved for the race? All that ever was accomplished and more than history has yet recorded.”

There is no doubt that violence is a shock, but can it truly stop progress? Not if the force impelling the reformer is spiritual, divine. For then it is a living and eternal idea.

Several years ago Benazir Bhutto herself observed: “You can imprison a man, but not an idea. You can exile a man, but not an idea. You can kill a man, but not an idea.”

Bless you, Benezir. For therein lies the protection and superior power of the reformer’s vision. Ideas that advance a civilization, bless the citizenry and bring an improved view of enlightenment spring from humanity’s inevitable evolution to a higher state of consciousness that more fully embodies our unity with God. Wouldn’t it be clear then that God is supporting — even causing — this progress?

Who, then, could successfully oppose this power?

Whatever Benizir Bhutto stood for, in the direction of good and progress, remains. She knew it and we can too. The world’s spiritual community can stand with her followers in this difficult time, praying to know that the power of good — God — is supreme. This is our act of unselfed love for the Pakistanis, and for the entire world. The progress will continue.

Authority

Who’s in charge? Lately I have had several experiences where that question seems to be at the heart of an unsettling situation.

Take the stock market for instance. Panic and fear seem to be in control…which is rippling through micro-economies like housing markets. In Santa Fe, where we have two homes on the market, I am seeing effects of shaken confidence.

Another example is an organization that I do volunteer work for. There is so much going on in this active group — most of it awesome — but sometimes it feels uncontrollable and bordering on chaos.

OK, I admit it…I am most comfortable when there is order all around me. When there is any hint of disordliness, I get to work and figure out how to MAKE it orderly. But that only works if I am in control….hah!

So what do I do when I am not in control? I am not in control of the stock market or the local Santa Fe housing market or even my volunteer organization.

There is only one safe haven for me and that is in prayer. In this prayer the first thought I have is to affirm the allness of the Supreme Being. How big is this allness? Whoa, infinite — but I can define relative qualities such as love, goodness, peace, intelligence, strength, etc. In other words, God’s love is all, goodness is all, intelligence is all…all that is. This includes all of God’s creation, which means us!

I was reading a favorite spirituality book of mine, Science and Health, and I came across a couple of really great statements:

“The artist is not in his painting….The potter is not in the clay;”

In fact, it is the other way around: the painting is first in the thought of the artist, as is the creation of the potter. Pretty obvious, right?

Soooo, using this as a metaphor for the Divine, He/She is not in the creation — rather the creation is in the thought of the Divine. Therefore, the creation must express the Divine.

OK, now I am getting somewhere. Who is in control? Who has authority over all life? The Divine.

But but but…what about fear, panic, disorder, etc.? I certainly can’t control the thinking of another person, let alone millions of people, but I can control my own thinking. And I figure that right now it is really important for me to consistenly align my thoughts with what I understand God to be: abundant good, love, peace, order.

In my activities with others, then, I can express these qualities with assurance and confidence that I am inseparable (as is everyone else!) from His care and guidance. Maybe in this way I can be a kind of flashlight for anyone who is feeling lost or confused.

Hmmm, I just happened to think about that…once I see the light of understanding I’ve really got to share it. Share order, fearlessness, peace, love…one person at a time.

The divine economy

Whew. Is there not a better time to think about the economy in spiritual terms? As I write this the stock market has had its 2nd worse day in 2007, tumbling over 387 points. This on top of the losses over the last couple of weeks. One of the market analysts observed that “The fear is feeding on itself. It’s what you don’t know that seems to be taking over the market.”

Ooof, fear. The very thing that needs to be healed FIRST, whatever the situation. Actually, in my experience, fear is the ONLY thing that needs to be healed. Because when fear is eliminated — fear of another power besides God, fear of many minds competing with the one Mind, fear of any controlling influence other than good, harmony, Love, and fear of any existence other than God-created reality — the symptoms of the fear disappear. Reasonable, no?

Where I live, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, there is a significant financial impact by individuals who rely on stock market profitability for their daily income. These are tourists who support the hospitality and art businesses as well as Santa Feans who live here and support the general economy. Specifically, in a micro-economic view, my husband and I have two considerable pieces of property for sale, targeted to these kinds of people.

So I am thinking a lot about the difference between the financial economy in the news and the divine economy I’ve learned about in the Bible and Science and Health.

“Economy” derives from the French or Latin words meaning “house management.” In Webster’s 1828 dictionary (more on this in a minute), it means “Primarily, the management, regulation and government of a family or the concerns of a household; System of management; general regulation and disposition of the affairs of a state or nation, or of any department of government.”

The current Webster (Merriam-Webster) definition builds on this and adds more stuff, specifically “a system especially of interaction and exchange” which I take to mean “supply and demand.”

Supply and demand appear to be very chaotic recently. Mostly too much supply, not enough demand. I am seeing this in our real estate market and it just seems to be mirroring the stock market.

But in the atmosphere of Spirit, divine Mind, where all life is created and managed in the order of consistent and constant harmony, can there ever be more supply than demand, or more demand than supply? If that was possible, then that would mean that the Divine created inequities, imbalance, excesses and scarcity.

The understanding of God that I get from studying Science and Health and the Bible describes the God of Love, goodness, superabundance, universal spiritual riches. There are no inequalities.

In fact, there is a very pointed verse in 2nd Corinthians addressing this:

“For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye be burdened: But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality.”

To me, this is a description of the divine law of supply and demand. That it is always in balance, every moment. And why not? It is all happening in the consciousness of Mind. Put another way, Mind is supplying infinite spiritual ideas — divine resources — and Mind is demanding their use. Mind’s supply = Mind’s demand, and vice versa.

To think that anything else is happening in the universe of spirit is to allow for another power opposed to God. You know what? Talk about fear — if I thought there was another power equal to God it would surely scare the socks off of me!! But there isn’t another power causing imbalance or disorganization…therefore nothing to be afraid of.

Mary Baker Eddy is even more pointed and emphatic in Science and Health:

“…evil has in reality neither place nor power in the human or the divine economy.”

Eddy wrote these words in the late 1800’s which is why I like to consult the Webster’s 1828 dictionary to get specific understanding of her statements. Consider the Webster’s 1828 definition above in relation to the quote. To me, it is so much bigger than “financial economy”, yet includes it too. Everything about the management of mankind is governed by the Divine, the spiritual Creator, which has dominion over ALL, including the human condition.

Everything God does is for the good of humanity. We are the beneficiaries of His wealth of love, abundance, peace, happiness. There is nothing too much causing too little. Every aspect of our lives, governed by Mind, is in perfect balance, blessing us and blessing others.

Knowing this, believing this to be true — what is there to fear?

More God in the news

I seem to be on a specific focus right now, looking for evidence in culture/media that identifies how people think about God. It’s kind of a key indicator, actually, as to what motivates people to act: last year Gallup and Baylor University conducted an exhaustive study that determined that how people define God deeply influences their actions in society.

This certainly is true in my own experience. God to me is all Love, good, peace, joy, compassionate, etc. etc. And I believe that my truest self is the image and likeness of Him. Therefore, for me to act in accord with my truest self, I must strive to be compassionate, joyous, peaceful, good, etc. every day. This is my heart’s desire, and while I am not successful all the time, I know what the ideal is. To do the “highest right” informs my thoughts, my reasoning and my decision-making about all kinds of daily activities.

So I have been interested to see how others relate their actions to what they understand God to be. My last blog on Kathleen Kennedy Townsend was about that. And then today in the news I see something about Sinead O’Connor‘s latest album, entitled “Theology.”

You might remember that fifteen years ago Sinead made big news by tearing up a photo of Pope John Paul II during a live performance on national television. Don’t know what her specific beef was, but I am reasonably sure she was making a statement about her dissatisfaction with the Catholic church.

OK, fast forward 15 years to her latest album which is all about God. O’Connor sings about love, hope and worship…and says it is her small response to what is going on politically and spiritually in the world since 9/11. She says she wanted to convey the benevolent side of God as opposed to an angry God who, she believes, “gets libeled every day.”

Wow. Is this not cool? Two well-known women within the last week are using their platforms to publically broadcast their understanding of God as Love and to denounce any portrayal of Him as judgmental, angry, hateful.

I believe there are TONS of people who believe that God is good, love and harmony. But to read the news about all the horrible conflict in the world, allegedly in the “name of God”  (the definition of Whom is evidently the biggest conflict of all), anyone who has not made up their mind yet would be challenged to agree.

What is needed, then, is for the people who understand God to be Love to make it known: live the life as His reflection, voice what you believe, challenge the negative view with proof of His loving care in your own life.

None of this changes who God really is….but society can change with a better understanding of His universal, unconditional and superabundant love for all of us.

The Nation hears about God

All you Stephen Colbert fans out there know that Stephen is always addressing his “Nation” — the Colbert Nation of supporters. A couple of nights ago, this Nation heard Kathleen Kennedy Townsend describe her understanding of an unconditionally loving God embracing all humanity versus a politically-defined God who is only concerned with abortion, gay rights and stem-cells. To her, one is a universal God, the other is a small, limited and highly niched one.

Townsend is promoting her latest book Failing America’s Faithful: How Today’s Churches are Mixing God with Politics and Losing Their Way. She was Colbert’s featured guest and really REALLY held her own with him, which is not easy to do. But I guess growing up with 10 sisters and brothers in a wildly rambunctious family (The Kennedys) has paid off. She held her own in the early dialogue skirmishes (rite of passage with Colbert) as he tried to throw her off her game (just to test her firmness, I figure). And THEN, at mid-point, Colbert let her roll as she was clearly resonating with the audience.

Why? Because Townsend was describing a spiritual foundation for caring for all humanity, whatever their needs are — the poor, the suffering — regardless of political affiliation. We all, as being created by God in His image and likeness (her words 🙂 ) have a responsibility to do this as this is a commandment, Love your neighbor as yourself (Yep, she quoted Jesus Christ!).

OK, here Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is on one of the smartest comedy-news shows (with kudos to the Daily Show) — former 2-term Lt. Governor of Maryland, former Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Clinton administration, a multi-generation DNA-infused Democrat — and she is basing her public service on the BIBLE….and the audience is applauding!!

I love this! Townsend wasn’t proselytyzing her own brand of faith, she was espousing a way of life that most spiritual practices unite on…love thy neighbor as thyself. With this as your foundation, it informs your daily decisions about what to do, what to support, how to spend your money…even how to vote.

Right on Kathleen. Tell the TV audience how to ground their decision-making in a more expansive and inclusive and spiritual way, and tell the TV audience about the God of Love.

Mary Baker Eddy’s contributions to world thought

The subhead to this should be “one student’s perspective”!

Because even though I am listing some pretty significant contributions that occur to me, I bet there are way more that I don’t know or realize — AND there are contributions that haven’t yet become evident. Seriously. Mary Baker Eddy was that profound a visionary. My point is that many of her ideas, presented and published in the late 1800’s, are actually leavening what people, scientists and thought-leaders are saying today.

Some ideas may not be overtly stated yet, but I believe you can see evidence of people yearning for better spiritual insight because their current beliefs are falling short.

OK, so at the risk of looking too personal in my own scope, here’s my list.

1. God as both Father and Mother. This is huge for it unites the feminine and masculine qualities in one divine being. Since mankind is the reflection of this divine Being, then it means each of us is a reflection of this whole (fem +masc) being. Think about what all those spiritual qualities can possibly be, starting with Love. Any time you are expressing unconditional love you are reflecting the quality of your Father-Mother. And it means that there is no dominant or lesser gender.

2. The clear distinction between the Christ and Jesus. Oooh, also huge because it clears up the confusion (to me) of Christ Jesus being God (how could a finite form be an unlimited God?), yet Jesus performed God-like healings. Eddy describes the Christ as the unlimited, eternal and immortal divine nature of God. Jesus is the embodiment of the Christ, the human that demonstrated the Christ. Think about what that means to each of us: We can do what Jesus did, demonstrate the Christ, the divinely spiritual nature of God.

3. The importance of “thought” and its effect on physical condition. Eddy quotes Shakespeare in the forward to her book, Science and Health: “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” This is paired with the verse from St. John: “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” The whole basis for spiritual healing is spiritualizing thought by understanding, believing and knowing that all reality is divinely spiritual, not physical. What is evidenced on the body, in relationships, lifestyle situations is externalized thought, either good or bad. Today, medical science accepts that 60-90% of all diseases are stress-related. Stress is one’s reaction (mental decision) to a situation. The American Heart Association states that if you want to lower your stress (and lower your potential for heart disease), change your reaction. The world is getting closer to perceiving spiritual healing.
4. Consistent, replicable, scientific spiritual healing. To Eddy, the God of Love, our Father-Mother, created a universe of harmony and supreme intelligence. All is in order and all is for the benefit of His complete creation. And He is the only power and the All-power. Therefore, good effects (like freedom from sin, sickness and death) are not exceptions or miracles, they are normal and the result of this All-power.  However, experiencing this life of harmony requires an individual understanding of who God is, who we are as His creation and what is our relationship to Him. As this is done consistently — not blindly or capriciously — we can overcome any UNnatural situations in our health and living conditions.

5. The universality of non-denominational Christianity. Sigh. Is there not a better time to be understanding this than now? The Church of the Christ is beyond denominational borders, rituals and practices. It embraces all life, regardless of faith practices, and excludes no one. Is there not a yearning for this unconditional community? Here is Eddy’s definition of Church:

CHURCH. The structure of Truth and Love; whatever rests upon and proceeds from divine Principle. The Church is that institution, which affords proof of its utility and is found elevating the race, rousing the dormant understanding from material beliefs to the apprehension of spiritual ideas and the demonstration of divine Science, thereby casting out devils, or error, and healing the sick.

I am not making any of this up, although the interpretation is certainly personal. All these ideas come from Eddy’s significant work on practical spirituality, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. A great overview is in what is called the platform of Christian Science, a 32-point briefing, pages 330-340.

I owe my life to the ideas in this book. The statements I have proven in overcoming grave illnesses and severe life trials. And there are thousands of people who have read Science and Health like me and are contributing their spiritualized thought to the world mental atmosphere.