Handle Serpents as an Eagle

Most people are startled by snakes, or are at least given the creeps. Including myself. It probably has to do with the collective mentality setting up snakes as lurking evil. In the Bible, there is a story about Moses who had a staff and was told to throw it down on the ground. Moses did. The staff turned into a serpent. Moses was scared. However, he was then told to pick up the serpent. Moses did. The snake turned back into a staff.

A staff is something we lean on. A support. A tool to help us in our daily work. But the staff can’t be leaned on so heavily that it becomes deformed and useless. A staff also can’t be guarded and horded so closely that we neglect to use it properly.

Staffs come in a plethora of forms. They can be books, social status, economic schedules, diets, time, and so on.

We do not need to fear casting down our staffs. Because we do not need to fear the serpents. A snake is defined in Science and Health as subtle deceit, a lie. And, lies will grow, and bite, and sting, if truth is not known and acted on.

As revisionist of Mary Baker Eddy’s Science and Health, I had to learn this lesson. A few of the staffs I leaned on were: 1) the book Science and Health; 2) a moral lifestyle; 3) church membership.

When I threw these staffs down, a glaring nest of serpents surprised me, lies such as: 1) Science and Health is not to be revised; 2) an immoral lifestyle disallows spiritual healing; 3) the church has a monoply on Christian Science.

I then picked up the serpents, with trepidation and after much research, and discovered powerful facts to work with. These facts are: 1) Science and Health states that revisions are “requisite,” necessary; 2) Science and Health was written for the public, not a church; 3) everyone, EVERYONE, has the ability to discover and understand the divine Science interpreting God and harmony. Divine Science doesn’t come through a book.

Well, I need to sign off here and get back to work. But, just a reminder, don’t be afraid to throw down what seems like such a wonderful support. Be strong as an eagle and take those serpents back up. God, divine Spirit, is right here, right now, guiding, guarding, and renewing us. And, we will find a more reliable human staff to lean on. A staff that includes everyone.

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Being Realistic about Language and Expanding Dialogue

Richard is our cat. He is intelligent, entertaining, soft, loving, loveable, healthy, adorable, soothing, happy, playful, well-behaved, and so on. Richard is so smart, he plays the Scrabble game with me… (more reading below picture)

Richard selecting his next word

Just kidding about the Scrabble game. I wouldn’t expect Richard to understand the English language because Richard speaks Meow language.

 

Realistically, even people, who speak the same language can have a difficult time understanding one another. We all interpret what is said and heard differently, through our own perceptions, which are as individual and unique as each person, therefore we need to speak differently to different people in order to promote understanding.

Words are not effectively used when “telling” each other what to do, or what not to do. Words are effectively utilized when keeping a respectful dialogue flowing. For example, Mary Baker Eddy offered to the universe a great definition of God, but because God is so infinite, so all-encompassing and grand, our understanding must supersede the human language. An ever-expanding language is requisite to contemplate God and expand our understanding of universal goodness.

Definition of God found in Science and Health: “The all-knowing, all-seeing, all-acting, all-wise, all-loving, and eternal; Principle, Mind; Soul; Spirit; Life; Truth; Love; all substance; intelligence.”

Human Emotions Don’t Need to Interfere with Awareness

One of my co-workers is going through a nasty, terrible divorce. She left her husband. There would be no point in me taking sides or rehashing her mistakes. I don’t rehash with her, and I won’t write about it here. The point is moving forward with as much grace as possible whether we are divorced, married, or single.
At work, when the emotions of fear and anger have her on the verge of tears, I perform the delicate balancing act of retaining emotional responsiveness while further empowering realism. A realistic view of self, society and marriage is important so as not to get caught up in the drama of human emotions. And, a hug sometimes says more than words.
My co-worker is striving not to say anything bad about her soon to be ex-husband in front of their children. And, she realizes she needs to grow up and become more independent.
Oddly, I’ve found that independence comes from a dependence on God. My co-worker and I discuss the progressiveness of deep feelings of forgiveness and wisdom to replace the over-charged emotions of blame and anger. We both are familiar with Paul’s counsel to ”make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit…one God and Father of all.” (Ephesians 1:3-6)
I’m reminded of a pragmatic idea Mary Baker Eddy voiced concerning the circumstance of divorce. From 21st Century Science and Health, “Women and men are equally capable to earn wages, enter the business world and politics, care for the children, and protect their freedom without interference.”
Mary Baker Eddy’s Science and Health articulated this same idea in the 19th century context when women and men were not considered equal, “If a dissolute husband deserts his wife, certainly the wronged, and perchance impoverished, woman should be allowed to collect her own wages, enter into business agreements, hold real estate, deposit funds, and own her children free from interference.”
We, male and female, can courageously be independent, in other words, we can be self-reliant and dependent on God, Love. We can have a sensibility, or awareness of truth and love, that advocates graceful movement forward.
Whatever life throws in our direction can be seen as an opportunity to rely more on Truth and Love, God. As I become more dependent on God, instead of depending on my opinions or temporary emotions, my sensibility to independence increases. Growing up takes time and understanding, we can help one another.

Tis the Season for Pumpkins

When I saw this stack of pumpkins (below in the picture), I had to laugh. It reminds me of the top-down model of goverance, or in other words, the heirarchal tradition that so often controls our thinking.
But, you don’t have to be the daughter of a king in order to command health. You don’t have to be rich in order to minister to the needs of others. You don’t have to be in a position of high status in order to write a wise, coherent, seminal piece of work. The top-down, or the hierarchal, models are moot.
In the 19th century, Mary Baker Eddy, shattered the top-down model, doing things other people thought she should not be doing. Speaking of everyone’s ability to be inspired by God, Eddy wrote, “For this Principle there is no ecclesiastical monopoly, no successors.”
No matter how we are stacked…..we are all still just a bunch of pumpkins!

Notice: pumpkins on the bottom are holding pumpkins on the top!

Yellow flowers

Everything is a miracle, until it becomes common knowledge.

Common knowledge may include either spiritual knowledge, or human knowledge.

Spiritual knowledge has proven very productive to me. However, I appreciate human knowledge, for instance, driving on the right side of the road is the law in the United States, but driving on the left side of the road when in Thailand or New Zealand is the law.

Now, quite wonderful is the fact that human knowledge can trigger spiritual knowledge. Here is a video using the human knowledge of why a flower is yellow that triggers contemplation as to why bodies can be healthy. Health doesn’t have to be seen as a miracle, but as an all-presence we can naturally reflect.

Living in Time versus Living in Light

In the 13th century, Benedictine monks invented the mechanical clock. The intent was to arrange their activities of working, reading, and praying, into precise dedication to God to prepare for future eternal deliverance. Every movement was organized into formal activity, taking place at fixed times. The consequence?

• Time driven schedules
• Separation of time from the rhythms of the natural world
• Efficiency, conformity, and regimentation

Dividing our days into quantitative time is only spiritually productive when Love and Truth are given precedent over time-controlled thinking. Can we alter our schedules to help an enemy? Can we adjust our rituals and minister to human needs?

Mary Baker Eddy defines day as the unfolding of good, “the illumination of Life.” (Science and Health)

Biblical references were written in a context before the mechanical clock was invented. We read in Genesis, “God called the light Day.” (NKJV)