Jesus was himself

I'm on the chapter Atonement and Eucharist in Science and Health, and, as I've mentioned, I'm bringing my questions about self-discovery to the reading. So, here I am facing this chapter about Jesus and his mission. And it occurred to me: Jesus was always himself.

Here are some Mary Baker Eddy insights from my reading so far:

Jesus acted boldly, against the accredited evidence of the senses, against Pharisaical creeds and practices, and he refuted all opponents with his healing power. p. 18

The Master forbore not to speak the whole truth, declaring precisely what would destroy sickness, sin, and death, although his teaching set households at variance, and brought to material beliefs not peace, but a sword. p. 19

He rendered "unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's." He at last paid no homage to forms of doctrine or to theories of man, but acted and spake as he was moved, not by spirits but by Spirit. p. 20

"Despised and rejected of men," returning blessing for cursing, he taught mortals the opposite of themselves, even the nature of God; and when error felt the power of Truth, the scourge and the cross awaited the great Teacher. Yet he swerved not, well knowing that to obey the divine order and trust God, saves retracing and traversing anew the path from sin to holiness. p. 20

Neither the origin, the character, nor the work of Jesus was generally understood. Not a single component part of his nature did the material world measure aright. p. 28

Divine Truth, Life, and Love gave Jesus authority over sin, sickness, and death. His mission was to reveal the Science of celestial being, to prove what God is and what He does for man. p. 26

What I'm appreciating these days is that Jesus had a mission of his own to complete, and he did it. Unflinching, he faced what he needed to do. Because of what he did, I don't have to do it. I have a mission of my own that I need to complete as fully as he did.

This to me is becoming one way that I can emulate him. As a Christian, I'm committed to following Jesus and his teachings, to learning as much as I can about healing, to living the spiritual lessons he taught us. In addition to this, I can follow his example by discovering and then expressing the unique nature I've been given.

The Creator created only one Jesus. The Creator created only one me. Jesus did his job; I must also do mine.

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Eat pray love

Just finished the book Eat pray love by Elizabeth Gilbert, which was recommended to me by my life coach, and it turns out almost every important woman in my life has read it already (not sure about you, Mom?). Loved it, loved it, loved it. If you have read the book, you'll love the 10 Frequently Asked Questions on her Website.

First, for fun, I want to quote my favorite funny passage. She's going to visit Naples during her time in Italy, and her friend gives her an essential bit of information.

…[B]efore I left Rome, [Giovanni] gave me the name of a pizzeria in Naples that I had to try, because, [he] informed me, it sold the best pizza in Naples. I found this a wildly exciting prospect, given that the best pizza in Italy is from Naples, and the best pizza in the world is from Italy, which means that this pizzeria must offer … I'm almost too superstitious to say it … the best pizza in the world? Giovanni passed along the name of the place with such seriousness and intensity, I almost felt I was being inducted into a secret society. He pressed the address into the palm of my hand and said, in gravest confidence, "Please go to this pizzeria. Order the margherita pizza with double mozzarella. If you do not eat this pizza when you are in Naples, please lie to me later and tell me that you did."

So [my friend] Sofie [from Stockholm] and I have come to Pizzeria da Michele, and these pies we have just ordered—one for each of us—are making us lose our minds. I love my pizza so much, in fact, that I have come to believe in my delirium that my pizza might actually love me, in return. I am having a relationship with this pizza, almost an affair. Meanwhile, Sofie is practically in tears over hers, she's having a metaphysical crisis about it, she's begging me, "Why do they even bother trying to make pizza in Stockholm? Why do we even bother eating food at all in Stockholm?"

I was reading this passage while sitting with my son to get his driver's permit back in October, and I subsequently made a fool of myself laughing out loud and making him then read it. Great book, laced with fabulous writing and introspective humor.

And, also, a deep spiritual journey. The trajectory Gilbert travels resonated so thoroughly with my own that I can almost imagine myself on that island in Bali at the end of mine, too. Except mine will be the beach in Malibu.

Interestingly, though, this is the first book I'm recommending where I'm not going to go into great detail about each revelation as it came. It's like that pizza place—you have to experience it for yourself.

See you in Naples.

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Encouragement from the Universe

Today I wanted to share some great notes I got from "The Universe," that daily encouraging email I've subscribed to. These thoughts meant a lot to me.

For every fork in the road, there are often two paths to choose from... the one you "should" take and the one you want to take.

Take the second. Always take the second.

I did,
The Universe

The choice is always simple enough, clear your plate if you want dessert.

From the kitchen,
The Universe

Do you know how to give folks what they most, most, most want from you, without even asking them what it is?

In all regards, just be yourself.

That's what they were after when they manifested you into their lives.

Whoa!
The Universe

I love it!

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How to find companionship

My read-through of Science and Health continues illuminating. One of the issues I'm bringing to the reading is the desire for companionship. This passage jumped off the page at me with new meaning:

If my friends are going to Europe, while I am en route for California, we are not journeying together. We have separate time-tables to consult, different routes to pursue. Our paths have diverged at the very outset, and we have little opportunity to help each other. On the contrary, if my friends pursue my course, we have the same railroad guides, and our mutual interests are identical; or, if I take up their line of travel, they help me on, and our companionship may continue. Science and Health

Seems to me this paragraph is putting forth two important criteria for choosing our companions, especially the most intimate ones.

1. Need to be going in the same direction
2. Need to be on the same time-table

If these two criteria are met, we can help each other on the journey.

I've been finding lately that even for the many terrific people that I've enjoyed getting to know, if we're not going in the same direction or on the same time-table, the relationship won't go that much further. And in thinking back, I can see that it was trying to force myself or another person to change pace or change direction for the sake of staying together that led to emotional mess.

So this one paragraph has clarified for me what to look out for. I love meeting new people, and have been known in the past to talk myself into some really inappropriate situations just because I like someone. Then, I'd get hurt when it didn't work out. Now, I can just ask myself these two questions about direction and timing. It's so much simpler than trying to figure out why he doesn't like me or won't do what I want. I don't need to take it personally when a relationship doesn't blossom—it's all about direction and timing. The best relationship will feel natural and easy because we'll be moving down the same road at the same pace. I can wait for that.

This reading of Science and Health is truly helping me. I'm feeling safer every day because I'm gaining a deeper understanding of concepts I can fully trust.

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Q: Couple questions and Happy Thanksgiving!

Just thought I'd answer a couple quick questions before the long weekend.

Dennis R. asked if my Science and Health reading includes the Bible lesson or is in addition to it. It's in addition to it. I'm reading Science and Health straight through just for the purpose I've described in posts earlier this week. The Bible lesson is a different study for me.

Obidon asked about Monday's posting: "How do you determine your values?"

This is a big question! I have to admit first that it took me months to gain the courage for life coaching. I got into it gradually. For my writing business, I had worked with several life coaches on their Websites. They would describe their services—helping people get to their core values and live authentically—and it would petrify me. I'd move off of my standard questions designed to give me an understanding of their businesses to questions like, "What if a person is too scared to be coached? Does anyone find out horrible things about themselves? What if their dreams are just too big that they can never attain them?" The whole thing fascinated me, but frightened me.

Eventually, though, I helped one of my very good friends with her site, and her approach was gentle enough and I trusted her enough that we bartered editing for coaching. And she started with getting me to articulate my values.

For example, the simple one we all hope for, which is to only do things we love. I wanted to stop doing things that drain me and instead devote all my time to things that I love doing and that energize me. Over the years I'd absorbed an external value that doing things you don't love is somehow virtuous and you'll get your reward later. My coach helped me see that this isn't *my* value, but one imposed from outside. My own value is to do things I love exclusively.

Once I knew that, I began to pay attention to those things I do in my life that I don't love. I began to notice the things that drained my enthusiasm rather than inspired me. Just noticing was a big step. Then, it became time for a conscious decision of whether I'd keep doing them or not. Some things I still have to do, to keep cash flow going, but at least I'm aware of the need to replace that income as soon as possible. Other things I'm trying out to see if they're going to be helpful in the long run.

One thing I noticed *always* energizes me is talking with people about spirituality, specifically helping them on their spiritual journey. When I'm talking with someone and helping them think through a situation, time flies by for me and I leave the conversation more in love with the Divine than ever. So that's an activity I'll always keep.

Determining one's own values is a very individual thing. What makes you, yourself, happy? Not what makes your family happy, or your church, or your boss, but *you.*

It is the will of the Divine that you be happy. Give yourself permission to discover for yourself how to fulfill that divine directive. It will be different for each of us, but it will be amazing and fabulous across the board. What a world it would be if every person lived according to their own light rather than continuing to enact the values of others!

I'm grateful that you are you and I am me, and together our perfect expression teaches us about the infinite nature of the Divine. Happy Thanksgiving!

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It's a book about me

I've read Science and Health my whole life. It's always helped me through every tough situation, and it's encouraged me in the good times as well. I've thought of it as a book *for* me. Now, on this read through, I'm seeing it for the first time as a book *about* me.

Check this out:

We should examine ourselves and learn what is the affection and purpose of the heart, for in this way only can we learn what we honestly are.

Science and Health, page 8

That in a nutshell is what my journey is all about these days. What is the affection and purpose of my heart? Who am I really? And there's Mary Baker Eddy, telling me it's okay to explore these things and figure it out. In fact, she says I "should" do this self-examination. It's not self-indulgence, it's essential to the spiritual journey.

Which of course makes sense, and I could have figured this out for myself. But I'm one who has always needed a light to guide me, and Science and Health has always been that light. Sometimes I resist turning the light on because somehow I get the weird idea that I won't like what I see. But when I finally crack open that book one more time, I find only encouragement and love.

I have a little reminder in Outlook that pops up to remind me to do my fifteen minutes of reading every day. I've never been so eager to drop everything to do a task on my to-do list before. It's like talking with a best friend who knows you better than anyone else ever has or will. How great that MBE took the time to write a book about me, so many years ago!

I think she wrote it about you, too. Take a look and see.

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Time for a read-through

It's funny how spiritual messages come. I've told you I'm working with a life coach, which is a truly great experience that I'd recommend to anyone trying to figure out how to be more happy, empowered and fulfilled.

One of the key points is articulating and then living in line with your own values. Not the values of your family or friends or church or job, but your own internal, authentic values. It's been interesting to me to discover my own values. Yet, I'm still being guided by the Divine. These values are not in conflict with anything of the Spirit. I have my own unique expression, and that's where the individuality comes in.

I've found myself considering experimenting here and there with new activities, some that even seem a little risky (i.e., writing a novel), and then laugh to have things subsequently happen so slowly that there's no risk at all. I feel like divine Love understands where I need to go and is helping me get there safely and joyfully.

So my life coach picked up on my own internal value of pursuing spirituality. And, she noticed that I wasn't making as much time for it as I have in the past. She suggested 15 minutes a day of dedicated thought surrounding spirituality. I remembered that in other times of my life when I've been in transition, I've picked up a clean copy of Science and Health and read it straight through. I did this during my two pregnancies and at other points of career change or spiritual growth. I started a new one on Friday.

It's already soooo fruitful, and I'm on page 4. I listed inside the front cover those issues I'm wrestling with right now: things like values, companionship, self-expression, etc. Then I started to read, bringing all those issues to the reading. And, I got caught on the frontispiece even! Those long-time familiar words had a new, exciting ring to them as never before.

Ye shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free.

— John viii. 32

There is nothing either good or bad,
but thinking makes it so.

— Shakespeare

Oh! Thou hast heard my prayer;
And I am blest!
This is Thy high behest: —
Thou here, and everywhere.

— Mary Baker G. Eddy

Science and Health iii
(some emphasis added)

I added the phrase "about myself" to a few parts of this. Knowing the truth about myself will make me free—a wide freedom that does not constrict in any way. There is nothing either good or bad about myself but thinking makes it so, so perhaps I should get a little more out of my head and more into my heart.

And then the prayer by Mary Baker Eddy told me that God hears my desires and blesses me. This is His high behest—His divine will—that I be blest. And the declaration that wherever I go, there He will be. He is here, and everywhere.

I am scribbling and scribbling notes from this new perspective all through the margins in this clean Science and Health. It's an adventure of thought. I am blest!

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Love, hate; light, dark; life, death

Another recommendation from last Saturday's talk was to re-read I John in its entirety. Always a worthy study.

This time when reading all five chapters I was struck by the juxtapositions of opposites. Light, dark; love, hate; life, death. This would bother me, I suppose, if I didn't also have Mary Baker Eddy's take on real, unreal. If something is genuinely real, its opposite (I mean a true opposite, not just a pairing) must be unreal. One cannot exist where the other is. These are true opposites.

When I John says in chapter one, "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all," we have a statement implying the unreality of darkness, not just its absence, since God is all.

So then when we get to the section about Love, there we have Love equated with God, meaning it is all, it is the only real, it fills all space, and we are in it. We are Loved. We're not just loved in an abstract distant way—Love actually created us, we are the emanation of Love, Love is the essence that launched us forth.

Likewise, we exist in Light, since God is Light. We exist in Life, since God is Life. "He that hath the Son hath life," says the fifth chapter, "and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." Does this mean there are some who are excluded? Not to me. No one "hath not the Son." Not one. Every being that has life, that manifests existence, has a connection to the Christ, the divine sense of Sonship. The opposite condition, i.e., no connection to Christ, also has no connection to Life, so therefore it must be unreal, because Life fills all space and its opposite does not exist.

You are in love, light, life. No opposite state exists. Embrace it!

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Never alone

I'm taking a page from my friend Kate's blog, and sharing a favorite song—Never Alone, from the soundtrack of the 1980 movie, Fame:

I've seen the lightning flashing and heard the thunder roll
I've felt sin's breakers dashing, trying to conquer my soul
I've heard the voice of Jesus when telling me to fight on
He promised never to leave me, no, never alone

Never alone, never alone, oh, never
Never alone, never alone
He'll never leave you alone

The world's fierce winds are blowing, temptations sharp and keen
I felt a peace in knowing my Savior stands between
He stands to shield me from danger when earthly friends are gone
He promised never to leave me, no, never alone

Never alone, never alone, oh, never
Never alone, never alone
He'll never leave you alone

When in affliction's valley, I'm treading the road of care
My Savior helps me to carry my cross when heavy to bear
My feet entangled with briars, ready to cast me down

He'll never leave you alone
Oh, He'll never leave you alone

I'd been rocking to that song in my car for the week prior to the association I attended on Saturday, so one section of the address really stood out to me. It was about the fact that we are never alone.

There are those who would argue the point with me, I'm sure. But what I got from the talk on Saturday is that we're never alone in the search. Parts of it may feel like we're struggling alone, but we're all in this together. The Divine constantly accompanies us, and can be relied on to either be a direct presence or to send us friends when we need them.

I think the only times this hasn't worked for me was when I was insisting within myself to handle everything on my own. When I didn't think I needed anyone else, or that I had to prove something, or that I wasn't worthy. Those times did indeed feel very lonely, like the whole world rested on my shoulders and could pull me down.

But when I started to approach even my own difficulties with some humility, realizing that as tough as they seemed, they weren't the end of the world, that in the greater scheme of things my troubles were as nothing, I gained the perspective to resist taking myself so seriously. And, even in those times, I found the most comfort when I was comforting or caring for others.

That's what the address on Saturday said, actually. We find Love when we express Love. We understand Love by showing it to our fellow beings, not by receiving it from them.

I think it's a truism then, that we're never alone if we love.

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Doing your duty

On Saturday, I went to an association meeting (an annual event for those who have taken Christian Science class instruction), and the ideas flowed over non-stop. I'll be sharing some of what meant the most to me here over the next several days.

The opening discussion included the concept of duty. Like many others, I imagine, I'd always thought duty to be arduous, a chore, actual work—something I had to force myself to do. If I were virtuous enough, I'd do my duty without complaint, but it unless it felt like something I'd rather not be doing, it wouldn't truly be doing my duty.

Here's a definition from a very handy online 1828 Webster's Dictionary:

Duty: that which a person owes to another; that which a person is bound, by any natural, moral or legal obligation, to pay, do or perform.

Another definition online reads:

Duty: a moral compulsion for ethical action that is innate.

The discussion on Saturday included the ideas that a true duty can be thought of as fueled by love. It's a native expression of our own purpose. It's not, then, foreign to us, but totally natural. Hence, it's not a chore or a burden. It's Love in action.

This struck me in the context of the one thing I would consider in my life where I've fulfilled my duty, and that's in raising my children. It never felt like duty when I was doing it, however. I just did what I needed to do because I love them. Afterward, I look back and go, Wow, how did I do that? But while it's going on, it's not a burden. It might be tough, but it's not something I would ever turn from.

So when I think of all those we might consider who do their duty without question, i.e., soldiers, firefighters, police officers, teachers, pilots, it enlarges my gratitude for what they do when I remember that their fulfillment of their duty is an expression of Love. Not so much love of what they need to do, but love of their fellow beings.

It's also making me a hair more willing to do what I need to do. When I remember that I'm acting out of love, it's less about imposing my will and more about coming together with others to share ideas and make something better as a team.

Duty = Love. I think I can do my duty today.

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Q: How Christians pray

This comment came in from Bill, a reader in Illinois:

Recently, I've been told in no uncertain terms from a couple of very conservative Christians that prayers are going up to the ears of Jesus Christ as the mediator between man and God before they reach God as the Father. In fact all prayers are answered or not answered by Jesus. Of course, this way of viewing prayer is a physical human way of viewing prayer. Even so, prayer is practiced by many this way. I mean, Christians pray to Jesus as God, then Jesus decides if the prayer requests are worthwhile to send on up to the Father (the way I understand it).

I don't think it has registered with metaphysical Christians that this prayer process above is how most Christians pray. Is it worth commenting on?

I'm no authority on how the various sects of Christianity teach their adherents to pray. But on this praying to Jesus subject, I've often thought, "Hasn't the guy done enough for us already? Give him a break!"

Kidding aside, it seems to me the prayer theory Bill's highlighting assumes a few things:

1. God doesn't hear us directly, or care about us as individuals.
2. God's got too much to do, so can't answer every prayer.
3. God has set up the universe such that things could go wrong, but through prayer we can get Him to alter His own design for a better outcome.
4. God needs an administrative assistant to handle appointments and scheduling: i.e., Jesus.
5. God is essentially the same as human beings, only bigger.

Okay, yeah, to me, this isn't God. I couldn't worship that kind of being, any more than I could worship the Roman god Jupiter or the Greek goddess Artemis. That kind of being is one to bargain with, to try to get around, or to avoid, if possible. You'd want to stay out of its line of sight, actually, because who knows what it would throw at you.

So, who is God? Who is Love? Who is Life? Who is Mind? I'm talking about an infinite Being, wholly Spirit, with no—repeat, NO—human characteristics of any kind. A Being so totally transcendent that it defies time and space. A Being who, once understood, obliterates discord of every kind by the simple fact of its omnipresence.

When you pray to this God, you're not asking, you're understanding. You're aligning yourself with what already is. It's *you* that changes, not the Divine nor its creation. And all that's changing about you is your thought.

Let's all pray to that God today, and see what happens.

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Things that speak peace

Back in September, the JWalking blog started providing "Thin Places," inspiring images from around the globe. Here's what he wrote about them:

Celtic Christians had a term for those places or for those moments where the veil between heaven and earth was lifted or was thinner. They called those spots, those moments, "thin places." They worshipped there, they celebrated them. I'd like to celebrate them here as well.

So every day or so, he posts these offerings, and I always find them inspirational. What are your thin places?

Another inspiring source I wanted to share today is this one, from my own dear blogger.com:

Blogger Play

It's a slide show of every image being uploaded to blogger at that very instant. Sometimes I just turn it on and bask. You can start it and stop it, rewind if you want, change the speed, and access the blog the photo came from. You get a window into people's artwork, their families, their surroundings, their pets… It's just an amazing snapshot of the best of humanity. I find watching these images just smooths away any friction and gives me an increasing sense of joy.

So, enjoy!

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Challenged by a hymn

Here's a hymn I was reading this morning:

PURITY
Norwegian Folk Melody

Behold, they stand in robes of white
Who out of tribulation came,
With songs of joy upon their heads,
They praise His holy name.
O these are they whose hearts are pure,
And free from sin or any stain,
They stand before the throne of light,
Their joy shall never wane.

They worship Him in spirit new,
God's messengers of Love and Life,
They do His will, they speak His Word,
That stills all pain and strife.
They show an ever clearer light,
Like stars they shall forever shine;
They witness truly to His Word,
And God saith, These are Mine.

I've loved this hymn for years. It was sung by a dear friend at my wedding 25 years ago. I felt at that time that my marriage represented the reorienting of my life from walking on the wild side to embracing righteousness, and this hymn said it all for me. I felt welcomed by God.

The marriage didn't last, however, and the wild side called to me again. And I came out of it again after many trials into righteousness. I was able to fulfill my responsibilities with the strength that righteousness gave me—I don't think I would have made it through otherwise.

Now I find my plate is clearing up, the responsibilities are finishing, and I'm again doing things like writing blistering fiction. I feel like the life coaching and other things are bringing me out of a self-imposed exile. I'm wondering if there's a middle ground somewhere where I can be both righteous and a little wild.

So the hymn is challenging me again with its message of purity. I know that lasting joy is spiritual, and that basking in God's glory is the highest reality. I mean, I've felt this. It's been a comfort and support through all the lonely years of fighting on my own. I owe my life and any achievements I've had to the spiritual truths that sustained me.

But I feel on the edge of my seat, like something's going to happen next when I turn the page on my own life. How will it all fit together?

Well, that's what's on my mind today. Thanks for listening! Any thoughts you have would be appreciated. How have you handled transitions in your own life?

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Pray for your microbes

Fascinating piece in Newsweek last week:

Killing Germs May Be Hazardous to Your Health

It's a great article, I recommend reading the whole thing if you find new scientific discovery as exciting as I do. Basically, what they're saying is many—most—of the microbes that inhabit our bodies are beneficial and in fact essential to normal human existence. By trying to stamp them all out with antibacterial soaps or aggressive antibiotics, we cause our bodies to lose their natural ability to fight off any harmful effects.

This made me remember what I said to someone some years ago, when they asserted, "Christian Scientists—you're the ones who don't believe in germs." (Has anyone else ever heard that?) What I said in response was, "Sure, germs exist, I know they're in there. I just don't think they can harm me."

No microbe of any kind has the power to harm you. You can exist in harmony with all of them. As expressions of Life, they are hard coded to be life-giving and harmonious. I think it's our own fear that causes the harmful effects.

So, in essence, we can pray to see the true identity of our microbes. Maybe that's weird, but I think there's something in it. We can pray that they, just like all forms of Life, fulfill their purpose as life-giving and sustaining, harmonious and beneficial. We can pray that they not be used in any harmful way by mortality or sin. We can "know the truth" about them, and this can bring us healing.

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Aha moments

Last night I was reminded of the first time my son went trick-or-treating on his own two feet.

He had just turned two, and we dressed him as a character from a family favorite, The Lion King. He did not understand why he had to wear this obnoxious furry costume with the bizarre lion-head hat. Arms crossed, he flatly refused to have whiskers and a nose drawn on his face. His sister, four years older and wiser, eagerly carved pumpkins and dressed up nice. My boy snarled his way out the door of our apartment in Los Angeles.

We piled in the car to go to a "real" neighborhood with houses and sidewalks. Once there, Big Sister marched up the nearest walkway and confidently rang the doorbell. Little Brother followed behind, looking skeptical. She held out her plastic pumpkin, shouted "Trick or treat!" and the nice lady handed M&Ms to both of them.

Treat in fist, my little boy whirled around with an expression of utter amazement on his face. He shouted, "Candy!" and peeled down the walkway with his sister to assault the next house. Aha! ROTFL* from Mom.

Aha moments, even spiritual ones, can be like that. Sometimes no matter how many times someone else explains something to you, you're not going to understand until you experience it. And then it's, "light dawns on Marblehead," as they say here in New England. Sometimes this new discovery or idea is so startling but clear that it has the effect of Explaining Everything and reorganizing your universe so thoroughly that you Finally Get It.

A little boy come to my door last night, just as confused as mine had been although a little more cooperative. He saw the other kids pick up the Twizzlers I offered. Then he grabbed one, turned around, and yelled, "Licorice!"

I hope he has a lifetime of aha moments, just like that one.

* rolling on the floor laughing.

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