Enough with the Bible?

Time for a monster long post! I posted the below blog entry from another blogger on my Facebook page, and a very interesting discussion ensued.

The Bible & Homosexuality: Enough with the Bible Already

Here's excerpts from discussion:

Guest One wrote:

Hi Laura! I did read the article you posted the link to and I have to say that this writer does not seem to understand that the foundation of Christian faith is the Bible. Like Martin Luther said: Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia.

Without the Scriptures, then one can get all kinds of opinions.

Oh yes, one can argue, when who has the correct interpretations, and so forth.

But the point here is this writer is saying, enough with the Bible.

That is the problem. We do not have enough Bible, and too many opinions.

In Genesis 3 Amplified Version of the Bible we find this

1NOW THE serpent was more subtle and crafty than any living creature of the field which the Lord God had made. And he [Satan] said to the woman, Can it really be that God has said, You shall not eat from every tree of the garden?(A)

So we find the serpent still questioning what God said to mankind...and finding out we really don't know what God has commanded!!

Specially with the issue of marriage!

Guest Two wrote:

I didn't read the article, but the headline didn't sit well w/me... glad there are people like [Guest One] willing to speak with respect for the Bible still. People can think they are being 'progressive' when they are being 'open minded' and I do think we do need to be able to be religious and progressive and open minded, but just being open minded doesn't necessarily mean that one is progressive. Just because it forces us to really churn up our beliefs and practices and grapple with interpretations of theology, we shouldn't think an easier path will lead to progress. :-) But, like I said, I didn't read the article, just appreciating [Guest One]'s comments and expressing some things that have been on my own thoughts lately.

Guest Three wrote:

I love how liberals try to characterize Christians as fearful and mean - the very same liberal individuals who are supposed to be so open minded and "collaborative."

Just because someone disagrees with a particular view does not mean they are evil and afraid. In fact, most reasonable thinking human beings don't agree with the idea of undermining the definition of marriage. Prop 8 getting voted down by the most liberal state in America shows how a majority of normal, well-grounded people think. The people who voted down Prop 8 are not evil, ignorant, mis-informed idiots as the media would have you believe.

The longer term implications need to be taken into account, not ignored - i.e. does this action allow for even more definitions of marriage? How does this impact polygamy? Adultery? etc.?

I think there are far-reaching implications that need to be answered before we trample over one of the pillars of a progressive society.

I replied:

Hi you guys! Thanks so much for your comments. I've been thinking about how to respond, you all make such interesting points. I'll do my best to be brief.

[Guest One], you may remember from high school that I'm a Christian Scientist. I'm also a Bible scholar, and I see it as the chart of my life. Of *my* life. Of course, there will be many areas where you and I may disagree as to Bible interpretation—for example, I believe the Adam and Eve story is an allegory and not literal fact—but we could probably have a long fruitful discussion on how we both strive to live the Sermon on the Mount. In fact, I'd love to do that sometime.

What I took from the article I posted is the idea that in making legislative decisions, the Bible is really irrelevant. It shouldn't even come up as part of the discussion.

Curtailing someone else's rights or privileges based on one's own interpretation of the Bible is not appropriate in our freedom-of-religion society. One needs to justify curtailing rights and privileges some other way, perhaps by proving that giving those rights would cause harm. I have yet to hear any justification for curtailing gay marriage, other than a conviction that the Bible condemns it (a position that itself is open to interpretation).

[Guests Two and Three], you and I are share a spiritual tradition that is itself radical. So, it's always interesting to me to have fellow Christian Scientists say that what a majority of people think must be right (as [Guest Three] seemed to be saying). If that were the case, we'd all have been raised going to doctors by compulsion. In this country, however, our rights as a minority have always been protected, and we could choose to live how we wanted, again as long as we weren't harming anyone.

Which brings me to another point in [Guest Three]'s comment. In what way does homosexual marriage undermine marriage? How would it hurt your own marriage, or your own community? The examples I know of homosexuals who have legally married here in Massachusetts are folks who own their own homes, are raising children, are active in their communities, are thriving professionals. In fact, they invest more in the community because they feel like a legitimate part of it now. I've only witnessed good effects myself. Do you have examples where the effects have been negative?

No one to my knowledge is advocating legalizing polygamy or other forms of marriage that involve more than two adults or other beings, like livestock. The issue on the table is legal marriage between two consenting adults of any gender. How will or does that hurt anyone?

Thanks for taking the time to respond to the post and to read this. Have a great weekend!

Guest Three wrote:

Laura - any time one redefines an institution, in this case marriage, it opens the door to more interpretations in the future. If a man can marry a man, why can't a man (or woman) marry several women? Does this "hurt" my personal marriage? Probably not. Does it destroy our society? Perhaps not. But it does undermine one of the pillars of a progressive society and it would behoove us to consider these longer term implications.

I don't think there is value in looking at issues like this through a "this just seems right" lens, and not looking at the bigger picture.

Avoiding big picture/longer-term issues is similar to the situation that happened in the mid-90's when people honestly believed everyone should own a home. The government decided they would back loans to individuals who did not qualify. The short-term reasoning seemed compelling - it just seemed right that everyone should own a home.

Unfortunately, no one considered the longer term implications. As you know, the result was a Real Estate bubble that may destroy our society. Sadly, the very people this initiative was designed to help ended up in a much worse situation - now they can't afford a home AND they have bad credit.

Is there a way to provide rights without redefining marriage? Do we really need to redefine an institution? Do we really need to open the door to all kinds of marriage-types? I believe in the need to legally protect individuals in homosexual relationships, I just don't think redefining marriage is the way to go about it.

I could not find anything in the Bible or Mary Baker Eddy's writtings that would support your views. The chapter on Marriage is pretty specific. As a Bible scholar and CS I'm sure you have more knowledge about these issues. Can you provide any ideas from the Bible or any Christian Science literature that I could consider as I think through this issue?

I'm honestly interested as this seems to be an issue that needs much prayer and compassion. Only Love can bring clarity and happiness for all!! I know these conversations are valuable because it forces one to really think through what they believe... Thanks for posting the article (I read the whole thing)!!

Guest One wrote:

That was a great discussion and I do agree with [Guest Three] and understand his points. Laura, you said you cannot use the Bible as the foundational part for our laws...

Okay, how come in courts people swear on the Bible that whatever they say is the truth and nothing but the truth so help me God?

When leaders are sworn in, like the President of the USA, they use the Bible to swear...

Seems to me using the Bible is appropriate as a reference for laws in the United States.

Congrats on being a Bible Scholar! I am not a scholar, but I do own scholarly Bible softwares, such as Bibleworks, Logos Bible Software for PC, Acccordance for Mac...lately I have been using Logos as I have many interlinear versions and dictionaries and books for it.

I replied:

This is indeed a great discussion! To [Guest One's] point first: Here's an interesting article from a few years ago about other options for swearing in court, although it's not commonplace:

Raise your right hand and swear to tell the truth ... on the Koran?

and here's another page that talks about the swearing in of officials not being a requirement:

From the Separation of Church and State page

To me, the point would be swearing on the book that makes you more likely to tell the truth or fulfill the oath. so I hope more people are encouraged to swear on the book that means the most to them, rather than the one that means the most to me. Why should a Muslim swear on the Bible? Why should Jews have to swear on the Christian text? It wouldn't guarantee anything since they don't value the book that way. They would feel no additional impulse to tell the truth any more than they normally would by swearing that oath. but on the Koran or the Torah? Much more meaningful.

[Guest Two], I hear what you're saying, thanks for articulating it more fully. I agree with you 100% on the credit fiasco! What a mess. The virtue of homeownership is vastly overrated in my opinion. I sold my house and am now happily renting.

Anyway (and this is going to get kind of in-house between Christian Scientists, [Guest One], so forgive us), to our core documentation. I think the thing that convinced me that legal marriage is the only way to go for the homosexual couples is that without it, they're precluded from full compliance with the Church Manual. You may know I'm actively supportive of the CS homosexual community, having been the keynote speaker at their recent conference in Philly.

Getting to know these folks, who have been in committed relationships for ten, twenty, thirty plus years, who have literally no other options for being in a meaningful long-term relationship than living together but still love CS and strive to practice it, just makes my heart break. The Manual says "legal marriage." Once that is fulfilled, by changing the laws of our land, they can be in full compliance with the Manual. How amazing would that be?

MBE was writing her chapter on marriage within the context of her times. Interestingly, I believe early versions of Science and Health state, "Union of male and female constitutes completeness." She *edited* that later to read, "Union of the masculine and feminine qualities constitutes completeness." As her thought evolved in a more spiritual direction, so did her language. Of course, there's no indication whatsoever that she was intending this to speak to homosexuality. She just plain didn't ever write on that subject. But she was clearly in favor of legal marriage, as opposed to the "spiritual" marriage of living together.

I'd just like more of our folks to be able to fulfill that requirement.

I'm no authority on this next bit, I just know what I've read and heard from more knowledgeable sources. But apparently if you read the six passages in the entire Bible that condemn homosexuality (male only), it is possible to see these passages as taking exception with licentious activity, sex by force, self-abuse, etc. The Bible does not address homosexuality, male or female, as within a committed long-term relationship. It just doesn't, any more than it addresses interracial marriage. It does address inter-denominational marriage, i.e., marrying someone outside your faith. But as a society we've left that behind as a problem long ago.

We need to take the Bible teachings and apply them to today, not try to live as they did 2,000 - 5,000 years ago. As a woman, this is particularly meaningful to me. I can cut my hair, speak in church, own property, make decisions for my children. I can chose whom I marry, or even if I marry at all. I could not have done any of these things in biblical times. As I enjoy these freedoms, I want everyone else to as well.

My two cents for today!

Guest Three wrote:

Laura - Good points! Thanks for taking the time to fully articulate your ideas and beliefs. I too, have homosexual friends and I don't look at them any differently than I would anyone else. We've all been dealt different cards and need to try to live a life in accord with Jesus' teachings.

Everyone has things in their experience that do not blend with Jesus' teachings - if not, we'd be walking on water and raising the dead. The idea is not to change the rules, but rather change ourselves... to bring every thought into the obedience of Christ.

I think we all need to be patient and loving with one another and know that people in glass houses should not cast stones. No one is a second class citizen, but there is a requirement for us to give up all for Christ. Personally, I'm not there yet, but the journey has been wonderful because it continues to be so challenging. We need to stretch beyond this human experience to grasp immortality. That's the real point, I think.

I think it's great you can cut your hair the way you like. However, the real question is, "how does this act bring you closer to Christ?" That's the goal - to follow Jesus example. My guess, is he did not spend too much time thinking about how his hair looked (I'm sure you don't either! - I'm just using this as an example).

I think the same could be asked of homosexual marriage - "How is this bringing people closer to Christ?" Marriage between a man and a woman is a temporary measure due to our lack of understanding, our dearth of spirituality. At some point we'll recognize our oneness with Love and marriage will become unnecessary (according to Jesus).

In the mean time, the goal is spiritual growth, more compassion, more kindness, more patience, and freedom from any belief that causes us to break the first commandment. I do believe that much of this is a distraction designed to pull us away from the need to focus on our connection to Christ.

Would love to have anyone else's thoughts as well!

Happy New Year!

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The reason for the season

This from The Universe (a daily email to which I subscribe):

If it's not yet obvious to you, the real reason for this season is you. A more perfect child of the Universe has never lived. Until now, only a celebration cloaked in myth and mystery could hint at your sublime heritage and divine destiny. You are life's prayer of becoming and its answer. The first light at the dawn of eternity, drawn from the ether, so that the Universe might know its depths, discover its heights, and frolic in endless seas of blessed emotion.

A pioneer into illusion, an adventurer into the unknown, and a lifter of veils. Courageous, heroic and exalted by billions in the unseen.

To give beyond reason. To care beyond hope. To love without limit. To reach, stretch, and dream, in spite of your fears. These are the hallmarks of divinity -- traits of the immortal -- your badges of honor. Wear them with a pride as great as the unspeakable pride we feel for you.

Your light has illuminated darkened paths, your gaze has lifted broken spirits, and already your life has changed the destiny of all who will ever follow.

This is the time of year we celebrate you.
Bowing before Greatness,
The Universe

In short, we all express the Christ, and both witness and embody its appearing.

Happy Christ-celebration!

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Land of the freaky: The power of intention

I don't journal very much anymore, but I will when prodded. A couple days ago, I went into my journal to record a dream I didn't want to forget, and my eyes traveled to the prior entry from some months ago.

I feel so great that I got everything done. I was a fabulous script supervisor on my first feature length film, and I also did all the [book] editing that needed to be done. I earned the most money I ever have editing, while doing film work and earning days for the union. I also lost weight and stayed strong. I worked hard, but well. The director, cinematographer and editor loved me. I was part of a great team. I showed my worth abundantly. And, I've never had so much fun. I also did great taking care of [a family member], and getting him to his new location. Everything fell into place harmoniously, because God loves me and wants me to do well.

I SURVIVED JULY 2008.

After I read this, I thought, Yeah, I really did get all that done in July! There's a lot to be grateful for!

But then I noticed the date of the entry. It was July 8. What? I thought. There was also a parenthetical reminding me what my daughter had advised me to do early in the month when I was feeling totally stressed. She told me to write about the month as though it had already happened.

So I did. And it did.

I had totally forgotten writing that entry, yet it happened just as I'd written it. The power of intention, of consenting mentally to a good outcome, is the first step in achieving it outwardly. We have to be able to conceptualize it before we can achieve it.

What do you want your next month to look like? Write it down as though it's already happened, and then check back in six months. You'll probably be as amazed as I am.

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Book Review: "Do You Know Who Your Children Are?"

As many of you know, I work as an editor of books by self-publishing authors. I've edited dozens over the last year, and some have stayed with me as benchmarks on my spiritual journey. Strangely, often the book I was editing mirrored my actual life in an uncanny way—like a book on childrearing when I was having trouble as a mom, or a book on relationships when I was feeling the fear of connecting. There have been dieting books, historical books, scientific books, inspirational books. It's been such a privilege to see the world through these authors' eyes. Now, many of these books have gone to press, and I'd like to share them with you.

Michelle Starkey's Do You Know Who Your Children Are? came to me at a time when I was wrestling with the point of parenting. Why pour so much into these separate beings who will be flying the coop anyway after eighteen to twenty years? Michelle's book answered that question for me, in a gentle and insightful way.

Michelle explores the different roles children have in our lives: teacher, healer, guide, messenger, spiritual companion, sage and friend. For each of these roles, she gives solid wisdom on how to discern these qualities in our children and accept the gift we've been given.

Here are some excerpts of sections that meant a lot to me:

A major duty that children today seem to be burdened with is helping parents face their not-so-perfect childhoods. There are many painful instances that are brought to the surface when children enter our lives. We may be reminded of the time we got a spanking for breaking the vase, or the time we couldn't go to a friend's party because of our poor report card. On a more painful level, past issues of abuse or neglect may be brought forth. Repressed memories of extremely painful events may begin to be uncovered. Being with a child helps us to relive our own childhoods however joyful or painful we perceive them to have been.

The good news is that both the pain and the joy are gifts. It is never too late to have a happy childhood, as the cliché goes. If we were never able to have a pet, we may get a dog. If we never went to the park, we can now go. It is easier to do these things when we have a child with us, but we can also do them alone—whatever it takes to empower. There are no victims. There are no dysfunctional families. Families function at whatever level their consciousness allows. What may seem not to function for one group of people actually works quite well for another. It is not until those actions are discussed and judged by other humans that they become wrong. Each person came here to experience whatever it is he is experiencing at the moment. There is no right nor wrong, no function nor dysfunction.

I love the idea that no family is dysfunctional. It's such a freeing outlook, letting us all just be, rather than making us try to be something we're not. Every family has issues, and things to work out. But none are dysfunctional. I love knowing that, especially now, during the holidays.

This is a fun analogy, for those of us who believe in mind over matter:

The mind is like a puppy. When you first bring the puppy home it's all over the place. It runs around the house, goes into every forbidden area, chewing things, having accidents and basically destroying everything in its path like a mini tornado. After a while, the puppy grows into a dog and the dog can be trained to refrain from certain activities, control its physical urges and impulses and usually becomes quite manageable. The untrained mind can be as destructive as the untrained dog. The thoughts running rampant through your mind can destroy your inner peace much as a puppy can wreck your home.

And one final thought, which gave me pause:

The past is not a place to dwell. It's okay to visit for reference, but if we live there, we are bound to recreate it.

Do You Know Who Your Children Are? is a great read, full of fun insight and comfort for those of us who sometimes think we're doing it all wrong. It would be a great present for new parents as well—let's reassure them right out of the gate, shall we? While we can all do better at it, ultimately we're bringing the best we have to the job of parenting—and that is enough.

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Happiness and the collective consciousness

A lot of people have been talking about the new study about happiness. Here's a report from TIME magazine:

The Happiness Effect

I love this passage from the article:

Harvard social scientist Dr. Nicholas Christakis and his political-science colleague James Fowler at the University of California at San Diego … created a sensation with their announcement earlier this month of a 20-year study showing that emotions can pass among a network of people up to three degrees of separation away, so your joy may, to a larger extent than you realize, be determined by how cheerful your friends' friends' friends are, even if some of the people in this chain are total strangers to you.

If that's so, it creates a whole new paradigm for the way people get sick and, more important, how to get them healthy. It may mean that an individual's well-being is the product not just of his behaviors and emotions but more of the way they feed into a larger social network. Think of it as health Facebook-style. "We have a collective identity as a population that transcends individual identity," says Christakis. "This superorganism has an anatomy, physiology, structure and function that we are trying to understand."

I've written about collective consciousness before (Does matter matter?). Now here's a social scientist talking about a collective identity. Which to me is just one way of articulating that we all are connected in the infinite individuality that is God.

This line of thought has always made it easier for me to love and take care of myself. If I see myself as part of a larger whole, then I'm being good to the entire by being good to myself. If I see myself as an isolated being, I may think being good to myself is all about me and therefore self-indulgent, or I could see it as selfish and I should avoid it by being good only to others. Both of the latter are wrong-headed, though, because I'm not an isolated being—I'm one with you. And you. And you.

So my being happy is a duty not only to myself, but to my fellow beings. The smile I give to the cashier today will flow beyond her to her family, her friends, her other customers. Likewise it's essential that I not indulge in spreading negative emotions. Sometimes it's hard to avoid this, and we do need to be honest about how we're feeling. But there's a time and a place to explore negative feelings—say, when you're with a person you trust and you're asking for help.

At other times and whenever possible, spread joy. You will be changing the world.

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A new take on church

I've started to attend Al-Anon meetings. Which, by saying that, I hope doesn’t betray the "anon" aspects of the meetings. I'll have to ask someone about that. You know me, I like to talk about things that help me.

Al-Anon is for people whose lives have been affected by someone else's addiction. At this point, I fall in that category. Close friends and professionals have been recommending that I go for several months now, and I finally started. Very eye opening.

What I've found at these meetings is total acceptance, understanding, love and fellowship. Instantly. I found affirmation for recent decisions I've had to make and encouragement for the doubts I still have.

The first meeting felt like the best Christian Science testimony meeting I'd ever been to. CS testimony meetings include prayer, readings, and sharing. Al-Anon meetings do as well. The difference is that at Al-Anon the people sharing aren't speaking from a place of "everything's all better now." They're speaking from the middle of the process, what they're learning as they go. So listeners get and give both inspiration and encouragement. Everyone in the room is just doing their best, day by day.

Apparently this is quite powerful. I've only been a couple of times, but some of these folks have been coming to Al-Anon for decades, and they keep coming even after the immediate cause (another person's addiction) has been resolved. Meaning, even after the person becomes sober and sticks with it, the Al-Anon folks still offer each other love and support. It feels to me like this is church to those people.

I've been thinking often about the early Christians, who met anonymously in little cells to wrestle through what it meant to follow Christ in their pagan world. They had to be anonymous, because if they weren't, they could wind up on a cross of their own. They had to have each others' backs. And, I'm sure their questions as the Christian life was forming up are very similar to those being asked at the meetings I've attended: What is letting go? How do we trust our higher power? What is perfection?

It's made me wonder what church would be like today if it were structured not around a particular dogma or creed, but around what the individual church goers need. Like, we could start a Church of the Single Parent, and everyone who came would support each other in that journey. When you're no longer single, you could go to the Church of the Newly Married. Or, the Church of the Jilted Lovers. Or, the Church of the Exhausted Mothers. Or, the Church of the Financially Strapped. You could talk about what's on your mind, your challenges and your victories, and everyone would understand.

I'm so grateful to know about the unique culture of sharing that is Al-Anon. There's something immeasurably powerful about finding a group of people who have walked where you need to walk, and who can offer companionship along that journey.

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Newsweek takes a stand

My friend Mario used to kvetch that it was all well and good for the news media to present both sides of an issue in the name of being fair, but there also comes a time when you just have to take sides for what is right and true. He always felt that some things are not subject to opinion, and the media should develop the backbone to say what's what.

Mario had a great point. Working with him for five years helped me develop a more critical eye regarding all current events. So, I was thrilled to read this from Jon Meacham's Editor's Desk column in this week's Newsweek:

No matter what one thinks about gay rights—for, against or somewhere in between—[the] conservative resort to biblical authority is the worst kind of fundamentalism. Given the history of the making of the Scriptures and the millennia of critical attention scholars and others have given to the stories and injunctions that come to us in the Hebrew Bible and the Christian New Testament, to argue that something is so because it is in the Bible is more than intellectually bankrupt—it is unserious, and unworthy of the great Judeo-Christian tradition.

The whole column is great. Meacham is one of my favorite authors. I've talked about his writing on this blog many times. Sometimes I'll be reading some great article about faith in America, and I just think, who wrote this? And it turns out to be Meacham.

Here he is, allowing both himself and his magazine to take a stand, like Mario says they should. The interpretation of scripture that precludes gay marriage is just a wrong interpretation. It flies in the face of human history and biblical precedent. And Newsweek is not afraid to say so.

More power to them.

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Conservative and liberal

Now that we've all had a chance to catch our breath after that election, I thought I'd just share a couple insights that meant a lot to me.

First, I read this lovely definition of conservative:

"Contrary to caricature, to be conservative is not necessarily to be racist, or retrograde, or close-minded. It is, rather, to be driven by a fundamental human impulse to preserve what one has and loves." (Newsweek, "It's not easy being blue," Jon Meacham, Oct. 27, 2008)

This got me thinking (as Meacham's stuff always does). I have things I love, and I fight to preserve them. I love a happy home, I love my freedom, I love my family. I suppose this makes me conservative! Meacham goes on to say:

"Liberals and moderates share this impulse, of course; and many conservatives, like many liberals and moderates, are generous, future-oriented and interested in reform."

Generous, future-oriented, and interested in reform. A nice definition of liberal, if you ask me. But these qualities are not owned by those who label themselves liberal.

On the other hand, one thing I think I did observe about the two "camps" if you will in this election involves what I think of as the "social contract."

Basically, it seemed to me that those who were voting red fundamentally believe that what a person has is what he or she has earned. And, if you've earned that dollar, it's yours, because it's due to your own hard work and effort. Therefore, any attempt to force you to share part of it will grate on you, because you believe that dollar is yours and yours alone. You don't mind choosing to share, but you don't want the government compelling you to do so.

Those who were voting blue had a different outlook. They seemed to be more comfortable with the belief that the ability to be prosperous in this country has to do not only with one's own effort, but also the vast infrastructure that exists here. The dollar you make, therefore, while it is certainly due in part to your own efforts to be educated, to get work, and to perform well, it's also due to the collective environment of this country. Preserving that environment and even enhancing it across the board for everyone will only increase your own wellbeing and opportunity.

Here's a passage from an article that takes issue with that "social contract" idea, calling it "socialism." But I like the way the author has articulated what I mean here, even in a negative article.

But what about a milder form of socialism? If reckoned as an attitude rather than a set of guidelines for running an economy, socialism might well describe Senator Obama's economics. Anyone who speaks glibly of "spreading the wealth around" sees wealth not as resulting chiefly from individual effort, initiative, and risk-taking, but from great social forces beyond any private producer's control. If, say, the low cost of Dell computers comes mostly from government policies (such as government schooling for an educated workforce) and from culture (such as Americans' work ethic) then Michael Dell's wealth is due less to his own efforts and more to the features of the society that he luckily inhabits.

Wealth, in this view, is produced principally by society. So society's claim on it is at least as strong as that of any of the individuals in whose bank accounts it appears. More important, because wealth is produced mostly by society (rather than by individuals), taxing high-income earners more heavily will do little to reduce total wealth production. (Donald J. Boudreaux, "Is Barack Obama really a socialist?" Christian Science Monitor, Oct. 30, 2008)

While I didn't agree with the article's conclusion, I did agree that wealth is produced by society, as well as by individuals. Also, I believe that by living here, we are part of a social contract to take care of each other.

To combine the two ideas above, I'm thinking that preserving our infrastructure, by investing in healthcare, better schools, roads, fire fighters, etc., is actually a conservative stance, since it's about preserving what I love. And sharing part of each dollar I earn is an acknowledgment that my opportunities rest on the backs of those who work hard, every day, to keep my community safe and healthy and to do jobs I'm overqualified for, and who face obstacles I've never had to due to background or education level.

So I'm both conservative and liberal. Who knew?

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How being yourself guarantees infinite supply

I thought I'd post a little index of the parts of my recent talk for Emergence International, so people could find them all in one place.

Part I: Introduction

Part II: What we are fighting

Part III: Know God

Part IV: Be obedient

Part V: Be yourself

Part VI: Refuting old theology

Part VII: Let it flow

Part VIII: What you can do

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What I learned on the film set

I took some film jobs this summer.

As part of the self-discovery over the last year with the life coach, my love for film as a career has been reignited. So now I'm pursuing it in earnest even as I continue to edit books freelance and write my own stuff.

Interestingly, and great timing for me, there's a growing film industry here in Massachusetts. Something to do with tax laws and the construction of a film studio on the South Shore. Whatever the reason, it gives me the opportunity to get some film credit before making my dreamed of move back to Los Angeles.

So, I worked on several shorts and one feature film this summer. The job I had on the set is known as "script supervisor." I even got an IMDb credit for it! This position works closely with the script and the director, ensuring continuity between takes and that every wish of the director gets recorded. While it's not a high level position, it does place you right in the thick of things every moment of filming. I loved it!

And, like any intense new experience, this wasn't without its spiritual lessons. You know it's mostly a young, young group of people making all these films. The crews on the sets I worked were mostly college students. At first, I wasn't sure if I could keep up with them. The days are long—eighteen hours sometimes—and you're never sure when the next meal will be—or what it will be. The location changes every day as well. There's no regularity or predictability at all—you really can't get used to things and settle in.

At one point, after having to lug all my own gear around for a couple days, I pulled a muscle in my shoulder. My first thoughts were that maybe I needed to admit that I was too old for this job, that it was too physically rigorous, etc. When I got home that night, I decided instead to fight those ideas. I was doing what I loved. I was making a significant contribution, because my perspective and calm in the face of wacky filming situations was helping everyone. I could see my management skills and organizational ability were raising the bar in a lot of ways. These things were valuable and showed dexterity and vigor. I was mentally alert and engaged every second of those eighteen-hour days.

On the other hand, the kids on the set were popping caffeine gum and chugging Red Bull, and still showing signs of intense exhaustion. I would hide myself away somewhere for a twenty-minute nap in the afternoon—sometimes right on the set of a bedroom!—and be refreshed and ready to go. I was defying any limitations of age in many ways.

So, there was no reason my shoulder had to be subject to any limiting law. I had all the energy and flexibility and strength needed, because I was there out of love. There could be no ill effects from my participation on any level. My being there was a blessing to cast, crew, and production staff, and to myself. I was learning a ton about filming, which was my goal, so I had the active curiosity of youth coupled with the processing expertise of experience. Really, I only had assets. There were no frailties or liabilities.

Well, I jumped back in the next day and kept on. The shoulder twinged now and then, but I told it to pipe down. I made it through that three-week shoot at the top of my game. I'm eager to do it again when the opportunity presents itself.

Lately I had occasion to answer the question, "How is Mary Baker Eddy a role model for you?" And it occurred to me that she starting writing Science and Health at the same age as I am now. Life over? Not a chance! It's just starting!

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Part VIII: What you can do

(eighth and final installment of talk entitled, "How being yourself guarantees infinite supply")

There are some specific things you can consider as you move ahead toward full-tilt abundance. [Some of this is more written out in full here than I had time for in the presentation.]

Enrich your purchases

When you purchase an item, be it a work of art, an appliance, computer equipment, a car, or even something small, you are saying "thank you" with your dollars. In fact, you are saying, "I love you." What if you therefore only buy those things you are truly delighted with, that make you grateful they are in your lives?

For example, food. Perhaps buy higher quality food that you love rather than cheap junk that is ultimately unhealthy. Don't spend that three bucks on an impulsive appetite urge; think about whether you really love what you're eating before you pay for it or put it in your mouth.

Lately I've taken to doing this when contemplating snack food. I'll be on the road, and a twinge of hunger will come on. I'll know there's a fast food drive-thru on my way. I'll allow myself to savor the idea of French fries, remembering their crispy texture and the salt. Then, I'll take a moment to remember what they're fried in and how they're manufactured somewhere, frozen, soaked in grease, then delivered to me as instant gratification. I'll think about the dollar I could spend on something else of lasting benefit. And I'll find myself driving by the drive-thru without stopping.

It's about purchasing according to our values. In this way, we endow our money with spiritual power.

I love what Wes said yesterday about the Bible being centered on the Love Ethic. We can apply that ethic even to what we purchase. Think about it. What if we only bought those things that truly express the love we feel? That truly delight us and we appreciate fully?

I'm currently writing a book of fiction about Julius Caesar, so I've been spending a lot of time mentally in ancient Rome. Recently, at the mall, I was in a jewelry store that had these beautiful Roman glass rings and earrings. As I looked at the pieces, I felt connected with Rome in a tangible way. These sparkling little chips of glass were 2,000 years old, from the Roman glass factories in the Middle East. So, I bought myself some. They were pricier than any jewelry that I've ever bought for myself, but I know I will treasure them for a lifetime. I'm wearing them now, look. I am clothing myself with what I love.

Divesting

The flip side of enriched purchases is to get rid of old things that no longer express who you are today. I did this recently when I moved. I didn't move anything to the new house that wasn't reflective of who I am today and is in alignment with my values. I made it so that everything in the new house had specific meaning for me. I'm surrounding myself with meaning.

Add value; invest in good

If the love of money is the root of all evil, then loving with money could be the salvation of the world.

You can maximize each purchase to create a sense of wealth in your life, by loving the craftsmanship or the design or the functionality of the item consciously, rather than just grabbing the first or cheapest version of whatever it is you fancy you need.

How do you grow wealth? By taking the wealth you have and investing it in things that add value. Make it a point to add value with everything you do, and you will always be wealthy.

Let's follow the money, shall we? Let's say you're an interior designer. You go to a paint store and buy some paint. You take it to a client's house, and you recommend how to put it up on the walls. You've added value. The client pays you for that added value. It's not just the cost of the paint, but the ideas. This is how economic growth happens. People add value where it did not exist before.

Once you achieve a certain level of expertise in your field, you know without any question that you will be able to add value to anything you work on. I know that for any piece of paper someone shows me with words on it, I will be able to add value. That's just a skill I have as an editor. Once you are able to add value, the Divine will match you up with those who need that value, even as you are matched up with those who bring value to you. This is a holy transaction that is entirely governed by Mind.

A word about comparisons and jealousy—recognize this and thwart it. When you see someone with something you value but don't yet have, rejoice that they've manifested it in their lives and see it as an indication that you can—and do—too.

Freedom from debt; the larger economy

Something else to think about is working to become free from debt if you're not already. I just did this myself, and not necessarily for monetary reasons—I wanted to be more flexible. But listen to this quote from Fareed Zakaria of Newsweek: "Since the 1980s, Americans have consumed more than they produced—and they have made up the difference by borrowing."

I'd never looked at debt that way before. Sure, I was borrowing more than I owned due to my mortgage and car payment, but I hadn't thought of is as consuming more than I produced. I was giving my children a nicer home than I could actually afford to buy with cash, so what's wrong with that? But isn't a huge mortgage just another way to look at renting? I had a prime loan, but in the end I was more or less renting the house I "owned" from the bank rather than a landlord, which also meant I was responsible for upkeep, insurance, taxes, etc. In the end, it cost me way more than it would have if I'd been renting all that time. I could have rented as nice a house and not had to deal with all the ancillary expenses. I *was* renting as nice a house before I bought the one I "owned." Silly me!

Now, I am free from debt. I am renting a house, I just bought a cheap but reliable car with cash I had saved, and I have no consumer debt. My income, too, has increased over the last year. Suddenly, I'm very liquid and flexible—nice spiritual qualities, wouldn't you say? I can also save money for the first time in many years, so at last I can plan for retirement. I don't feel trapped by financial decisions I made that were beyond my means, and I'm free to move as I like. This is a good, abundant feeling.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so don't take me too literally here. You've got to do what feels right and appropriate for you and your families. What's important is to craft a situation for yourself that maximizes where you are in your demonstration right now, and doesn't load you down with obligations that deplete you.

I've come to believe that supposed growth that is based on borrowing is not adding value; it's just spreading around what is already there, or banking on what might be there in the future. But it's not based on solid fact.

Going back to what we discussed earlier, I feel that today's economic situation is part of that belief in death. Global warming is, too. It's the fear that we're on the road to destruction. But man always survives. That's what the Noah and the ark story is all about.

Kerry gave us a thorough treatment yesterday about the market situation. I loved what he said about the mustard seed not staying a seed. Our faith that might start out small will grow and grow into a tree that can house all the birds. This is real value, and we can count on it.

Thank you again for having me here today. It's been such a privilege. To summarize, know God, be obedient, be yourself, and let it flow. Please, please be yourself. Being yourself makes my world better.

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Part VII: Let It Flow

(seventh installment of talk entitled, "How being yourself guarantees infinite supply")

I've taken a long time to build the case for knowing God, being obedient, and being yourself, yet I haven't quite covered how this is a guarantee of non-stop supply.

A concept I picked up from some books I've edited on spirituality is the idea that if you're truly being yourself, infinite supply is assured because you have no competition. Only you can fully and completely be yourself. Divine Spirit needs you to do this, and there's no competition for that spot, so Spirit must be on your side and devoting resources to both keeping you viable and ensuring your long-term success.

Something to remember is that God doesn't give us anything. Think about it. He's already created us complete. There's nothing else He is required to give us. Our experience of new or additional good is our own increased understanding, nothing more. God isn't sending stuff to us that He forgot to send before. The minute you understand that you have something, you have it.

Hugh talked about this yesterday, and I loved the way he put it. None of us are "unwedded." We are all the Bride and the Bridegroom, and the wedding feast is upon us. There is no delay, no waiting. We just need to know who we are.

This yourself I'm talking about is a discovery. We don't know the totality of who we are at the get go. So let me just recap a little. First, we must lay that foundation of who God is, and then see ourselves as individual emanations from that God. If we don't start with God, we might believe it's actually a part of us to be cranky or tired or impatient. Being ourselves then might just be a rehearsal of faults rather than a constant discovery of the true nature of our identity as God's image and likeness. So I want to emphasize that the ongoing revelation of who God is is of paramount importance in this journey of self-actualization. We have no selfhood apart from God, yet that selfhood is individual, unique and singularly us. But we have to know God first, in order to know ourselves.

Yet we don't have to know everything about God and ourselves before we begin to experience abundance. Obedience to the Divine that leads to self-discovery is the job He wants us to do, and He compensates us as we go along.

We've all heard of the analogy of ourselves as a beam of light coming from the sun. Draw that now on your paper. A big circle, with beams of light coming out of it. [We all did this.] Think of your present sense of self as the end point of one of those beams.

Have you ever thought about the energy behind that beam? The trail of light? The direct link back to the Source? What happens if you try to be at someone else's end point? You like their job or their house or their body. So you try to be them. You think they're better than you for some reason. Maybe you're just trying to live their values, perhaps, out of respect or admiration. But they're not your values. What happens? You are attempting to graft yourself onto someone else's end point. You cut yourself off from your own source of energy.

How do you know when you're on the beam, so to speak? You've got a book that can help you.

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 about Christian Science. More lately however, I've started to see it 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. (p. 8)

That in a nutshell is what my journey is all about these days. What is the affection and purpose of my heart? Isn't that another way of asking what my values are? 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. Let me read that passage again.

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.

What she says 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.

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, let me know what you find.

"...enlarged individuality..."

In particular, the Creation chapter to me has a startling focus on identity. I was struck in a recent read through by how frequently in this fourteen-page chapter Mary Baker Eddy was led to clarify who we are—our identity.

Infinite Mind is the creator, and creation is the infinite image or idea emanating from this Mind. (p. 256)

Man is more than a material form with a mind inside, which must escape from its environments in order to be immortal. Man reflects infinity, and this reflection is the true idea of God. God expresses in man the infinite idea forever developing itself, broadening and rising higher and higher from a boundless basis. (p. 258)

Man is not absorbed in Deity, and man cannot lose his individuality, for he reflects eternal Life; nor is he an isolated, solitary idea, for he represents infinite Mind, the sum of all substance. (p. 259)

Science reveals the possibility of achieving all good, and sets mortals at work to discover what God has already done; but distrust of one's ability to gain the goodness desired and to bring out better and higher results, often hampers the trial of one's wings and ensures failure at the outset. (p. 260)

Breaking away from the mutations of time and sense, you will neither lose the solid objects and ends of life nor your own identity. Fixing your gaze on the realities supernal, you will rise to the spiritual consciousness of being, even as the bird which has burst from the egg and preens its wings for a skyward flight. (p. 261)

Mortals must gravitate Godward, their affections and aims grow spiritual, — they must near the broader interpretations of being, and gain some proper sense of the infinite, — in order that sin and mortality may be put off. This scientific sense of being, forsaking matter for Spirit, by no means suggests man's absorption into Deity and the loss of his identity, but confers upon man enlarged individuality, a wider sphere of thought and action, a more expansive love, a higher and more permanent peace. (p. 265)

I love how, in Science, spiritual progress does not lead us to lose our identity, but frees us to express it more expansively. In fact, that's a natural result of true spiritual growth—"enlarged individuality, a wider sphere of thought and action, a more expansive love, a higher and more permanent peace."

Wasn't it Doug yesterday who spoke with such authority about worshipping God? I believe we can only worship God by being ourselves, because that's what He made.
Sign me up!

TOMORROW, final installment: Part VIII: What you can do

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Part VI: Refuting old theology

SPECIAL ELECTION NOTE: Please vote today! Even if your guy or your issue doesn't win, it's still important to know how many *wanted* the vote to go the other way. Each vote matters toward giving us an aggregate picture of who we are as a people. See you at the polls!


Refuting Old Theology
(Sixth installment of talk entitled, "How being yourself guarantees infinite supply." This section of the talk based on some prior blog entries.)


Self expression and divine will

At this point I'd like now to refute some "old theology," if you will. I edit a lot of books for an online self-publishing company. Because of my strong background in the Bible, I've been assigned many of the books by Christian writers.

Many of these authors put forth the concept that one needs to subsume one's own sense of selfhood in order to hear and obey the will of God. Only as we rid ourselves of self do we come close to what Jesus taught us to do.

I found myself at first objecting to this personally, perhaps because of the life coaching I'd been doing. In the coaching, I'm being encouraged to discover more about my authentic self and to listen to it—to get over my fears and limiting beliefs and fully self express.

But beyond that, I'm starting to believe strongly that we need to both discover what God is in His infinitude and greatness and also our own unique reflection of that greatness. We owe it to God, really, since to fully express Him in the way that He has appointed is to do His will.

To say we have no self, then, or that our self is worthless, is to truncate the path of full expression. If this is a systemic policy, where Christians in a particular sect or movement are being discouraged from self discovery, then a whole swath of God's greatness is not being magnified. This is the part I found disturbing. I began to recognize that to think that theories I might find harmless on an individual level—meaning, I'm sure that particular person will find their way eventually—are actually damaging to humanity's progress if imposed on a systemic level. This could even be affecting our GNP, because a whole lot of people are not fulfilling their potential. And this, of course, affects our collective expression of abundance.

Golly, I just want people to find the truth that works best for them, independent of institution or theory or opinion. I want truth to work on the individual consciousness unencumbered. I want self expression to be seen as expressing God, and for those witnessing that self expression to therefore rejoice.

Another piece of old theology I'd just like to blow out of the water is the belief that it's more virtuous to pursue the things that are harder for us than the things that come easily to us.

An example from my own life was the choice to be a stay-at-home-mother. This was over twenty years ago. It was absolutely harder for me to run a home myself than it would have been to have a job and a housekeeper—this is just my temperament. But I had accepted the idea that being a SAHM was better. Everyone and everything around me reinforced the idea that staying home with my baby was the best thing to do and that I would be a substandard mom if I didn't. My own mother loved staying at home and running a house, so maybe I thought that was the only way a mom should be.

But I tell ya, I went nuts. Within a few years, I simply self-destructed, blowing apart both my home and my marriage. Climbing out of that mess, I instead opted for a situation that included full-time work for me and a nanny for the kids. A SAHM friend of mine said at one point, "Maybe some people *should* keep working."

As hard as juggling a job and kids as a single parent might sound, it was easier for me than staying home. And, I think I'm turning out to be a pretty good mom—ask me again in twenty years.

I believe now that doing the thing we love, rather than the thing that's hard, is our mission. There are no extra brownie points waiting for us in heaven because we forced ourselves to do the hard thing. In fact, I think we can tell we're doing what's right for us by how easy it is, not by how hard.

If we bounce out of bed in the morning, energized and eager for the day ahead, chances are we've found the activity that fits us best. If we drag out of bed and find every task irritating, forcing ourselves to do the deed doesn't make us any more virtuous.

Of course, there are things we have a duty to do, but I guess what I'm really advocating today is not to create a life for yourself that is entirely duty or obligation, but is also filled with a good proportion of what you love, of what comes easily to you.

The thing that comes easily to you is most likely the very thing the Divine wants to express through you. Don’t truncate that expression with a false sense of obligation or a misguided attempt to be virtuous. The Divine needs you to do what you love.

Jesus was himself

We have a great example of this in Jesus. We tend to think about Jesus as being all brave and extraordinary, and he was. But what about from his perspective? What if he were just being himself? There was no other thing he could do. He knew it was most important to be true to himself.

Some months ago, in reading through the chapter "Atonement and Eucharist" in Science and Health, which of course is about Jesus the man and what he did for us, and, I brought my questions about self-discovery to the reading. That's when it occurred to me: Jesus was always himself.

Here are some of MBE's insights from the chapter [not all these were shared at the conference, but I've included them here]:

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.


TOMORROW: Part VII: Let It Flow

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Part V: Be Yourself

(fifth installment of talk entitled, "How being yourself guarantees infinite supply")

The "being yourself" part of this crystallized for me about a year ago when I began working with a life coach friend of mine. I had met her through the business networking group, and we'd become close. She needed some writing done, so we agreed to trade services for a while. It was one of the best damn things I've ever done.

She started me off with an exercise about values that blew my mind. It was a simple question, really. "What are your values?" Maybe you can relate to what immediately jumped into my mind. "Well, I don't drink, I don't smoke, I don't take any medicine…" The only way I knew how to answer that question was to parrot what I'd been told my whole life by other people! Not that those things were wrong. They just weren't all I am. She stopped me right there. Were those my values? Sure, I do embrace and practice them, but were they all I am? Not really!

So she gave me some examples. A value might be loving to be outdoors, or traveling, or reading, or helping others. She made me focus on my values, which I was discovering for the first time at forty-five years old.

Turns out I value having one's voice be heard. I value creativity and expression. I value self-awareness. I value harmony within the home and accomplishment outside it.

I have values that are just me, mine. I can live according to these values in a much more directed and specific way. None of these values are inconsistent with my spiritual path, which is Christian Science. They are, however, highly individual and specific to me.

So take a moment now. Do this for yourself. Write down five to ten things that you value. Things that make you hum. Things you're passionate about. Write at the top, "I value:" and then list five things.

[They took some time to do this.]

Telling my values to my coach was hugely profound for me. I had to speak my truth out loud, to someone else, to a witness. Just doing that made them so much more real to me. And her objective validation of these values left me breathless with wonder.

So let's do that now. We're going to make those values you've just written down that much more concrete by speaking them out loud to someone else. Turn to a person near you, and share those values with him or her.

[They shared their values with each other. The room got very energized!]

Wow, the energy in this room just went through the roof! Did you feel that same sense of self-discovery that I felt? I tell you, at first this was so heady I had to wrestle with whether it was sinful or not. Was I allowed to spend this much time on myself?

When I talked with God about following my internal values, rather than limiting myself to the external values I'd been taught, I got a startling answer. I asked Him, What’s right to do? What would be wrong? What do You want me to do?

And I heard back, in the gentlest sigh of support, Laura, just be yourself.

I felt a cool wash of relief bathe over me at this. I can do that? I thought. That’s all right with You?

That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you, He replied. Just be yourself and all the rest will follow.

Still, I questioned. God was patient. I felt the next message come somewhat in this form:
Laura, you've spent your entire spiritual career finding out about Me. You've done a good job, you've served Me and gotten to know Me. You've built a strong foundation of understanding. Now it's time to find out about My creation. Now it's time to find out about you.

I can't quite describe how profound this sense of spiritual "permission" has been. I feel both mature and tested, and new and reborn. And I have this adventure ahead of me, partnering with the Divine to have my own genuine nature revealed.

It seems to me that much of my energy in the past has been spent trying to be good or successful or righteous, but I’ve never focused on just being myself. Now, I can feel a budding understanding of how effortless being myself will be, and therefore my energy can be spent on living my values.

Hear this from The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany,

He who gains self-knowledge, self-control, and the kingdom of heaven within himself, within his own consciousness, is saved through Christ, Truth.

Our authentic self

So how can you discern your authentic self? Sometimes we have so much of an overlay we forget or never knew who we are. Here are some questions you can ask yourself:

• What do people compliment you on?
• Are you ever surprised that the compliment comes for something that's easy for you?
• When were you passionate and absorbed?
• What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?
• What would you do if there were no fear?

What is our authentic self? It's the only part of our being that will last. Truth always encompasses life, perfection, grace, intelligence, sinlessness, health, energy. Within that, Truth is expressed in infinite ways, by all of us. The truth of our being is all good and eternal.

Lies about our being are "here today, gone tomorrow." The lies can take many forms, not just the more blatant evil ones. They are not always conscious. For example, we may alter how we express our individuality because of wanting to please other people or to fit in. In my life, anyway, that always catches up with me, and I have some sort of burst of self-expression that isn't always graceful but does propel me forward. My true nature must be expressed.

And, it's not black or white. We're expressing the totality of the Divine, after all. Collectively, we are the complete expression. Individually, this can take an infinite variety of forms. It's all good. But, when we try to express someone else's good and not our own, even though it's still good for them or objectively good, it may be a lie about who we are right now. It takes some courage to stick to our own expression in the face of possible misunderstanding or disapproval. Trying to squelch ourselves into a misshapen form can take a lot of energy, as well, that would be better spent expressing our own goodness freely. I don't need to tell that to this crowd, do I?

It means a lot to me to remember that God likes my authentic self. After all, He made it. He likes what He made. What He made is the image of Himself. When I try to please other people or I make decisions based on what I believe others will think, I often squelch in the process what I'm hearing from the Divine. When I remember instead that I only need to please God, it's like my whole world opens up. I am joyous and inquisitive and energized and fearless.

This next is from one of my blog entries, called "God is Like."

God is Like

You know that feeling of loving someone intensely but not necessarily liking them all the time? I used to think God was like that.

You know, the feeling that He loves me because He *has* to, because God is Love, so what else can He do? The same as the way parents have to love their kids, it’s just required. But as for liking me, well, I figured if He really knew me, He wouldn’t like me that much. So there were times I avoided eye contact and figured it was best if He just loved me from a distance.

God didn’t leave it there, though. He really is like the father in the prodigal son story, who comes running out to meet his returning son. God came to get me, to let me know how He really feels about me.

It was a time when I wrestled with depression about how my life was going. I’d experienced rejection in a relationship and was weighed down under it. Yet as I prayed I came across this passage from the Bible:

the Lord's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings: So the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.
--Deuteronomy

The “apple of his eye” phrase glowed to me that day. What does it mean to be the apple of someone’s eye? To me, it means I am special to God, that when I walk into a room His delighted attention is immediately drawn to me, that I interest and even entrance Him, that whatever I’m up to has His full and complete approval.

In short, He likes me.

This insight had profound impact. If He likes me, then heck, I can call Him any time. I can bring Him my thorniest problems and He’ll drop everything to help. For a moment, I felt like the kid up at the top of the jungle gym, who looks over at his parents to see them smiling and waving. God was waving at me, grinning from ear to ear, happy I exist--seeing all that I am and being delighted with me.

I loved that feeling. The glow of approval and genuine interest healed me that day of my depression. I moved through that day with a spring in my step and a buoyant heart.

I still turn to that feeling now and then when feeling low. And there God is, smiling and waving.

With this new "orientation," if you will, toward myself as God's idea, I found things opening up in entirely new ways. Once I knew my own values, I could make choices for those things that energized me as opposed to feeling obligated to keep doing those things which depleted me.

For example, as a new freelancer, I had one assignment to do every week that at first met a need very specifically. But over time, as my interests and values shifted and I matured in my business, this task became increasingly arduous. I dreaded doing it each week, and it got harder and harder. However, I worried about losing the regular income from this task—it was about a sixth of my total monthly income.

My coach had told me, though, of the principle that one way to achieve balance was to start saying no to things that deplete you. It's interesting, isn't it, that sometimes making money can deplete you even when it's pretending to be meeting your needs? Making money just for money's sake can actually make you poorer because not only are you being depleted spiritually by the task itself, it's also taking time away from what you could be doing to enrich yourself both spiritually and financially. As Tom told us yesterday, money can sometimes be actually worthless. It could represent actual enrichment, or it can be soul-less. Make sure every dollar you earn is filled with Soul.

So I took the plunge with this one thing. On the year anniversary of doing this assignment every week without fail, even on holidays, I asked for a raise. That clarified things very quickly! My client was not receptive to this idea, and I soon was no longer doing that assignment.

But here's the interesting thing. That income was more than made up almost instantly by another regular assignment that was much more in line with my values—an activity that energized me rather than depleted me.

The more I winnowed out the activities that depleted me and the more I exclusively did those things that energized me, the more my income increased. It was like day following night. The income increase has allowed me to begin to dare to follow my lifelong dream of having a career in film. I was able to take three weeks this summer to work on a feature film shooting in Massachusetts, and I'm writing screenplays again. I don't know where that's going exactly, but as long as I can keep moving in that direction, I feel blessed. And wealthy.

I'm convinced now that this is a spiritual law. Doing what energizes you and being yourself means you're filling your unique niche in creation and are abundantly sustained while doing so.

TOMORROW: Part VI: Refuting Some Old Theology

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A brief political aside

As a little break from the talk blog entries, I wanted to post this exchange I had yesterday with a blog reader. It's related to the election, so now's the time to discuss. I hope everyone will weigh in with comments! This is a "reasoning together" blog, after all. (But, as always, be sure to keep the commentary respectful.)

With one of the Presidential candidates so openly pro-abortion, should those of us who know that God is the indestructable life of all consider that to be an important issue when we make our choice ?

I value your insight on these serious questions.

Thanks,
_____

Hi, ____! I'm glad you wrote.

I don't know that any candidate is "pro-abortion," although some might be "pro-choice." No one I know is pro-abortion -- that would mean they actively seek to talk people into having abortions even if they don’t want them. To me, abortion is the unfortunate symptom of a much larger problem, that of unwanted pregnancies. To me, the real shame is that pregnancies occur when they are unwanted. This is on the human scene, of course. Every individual is wanted, in fact created, by God.

I myself chose to have the child when I became pregnant out of wedlock, but I don't think I can tell other women what to do in that circumstance. I was enormously fortunate in that I already had a college degree and was in my late twenties. And it has been plenty hard for me to raise this child by myself. For women without my advantages, having and raising a child might be too crushing for them to face. I cannot make that decision for them, nor do I want the government to make that decision for them.

What I'm most wanting from our leaders is a demonstrated caring for children from delivery onward, through childhood, with strong education and equal opportunities even for those who are not of the majority or who come from disadvantaged circumstances. To be honest, I think that's a bigger issue than abortion. There are so many children doing without in our country. I support the candidates who are committed to doing something about that. If our society could show a deeper commitment to the children we already have, it might make the choice to have a child easier on women, since they would be more assured that their child would have a good life.

But that's just me. People of goodwill will disagree with me, and I can respect that.

Please feel free to comment directly on my blog if you like, I'm sure others will respond! Or, I could share this entire exchange on there (while keeping you anonymous), just to see what people say. Would that be okay with you?

Warmly,
Laura

Laura,

Thank you for your well written, thought out response. However, I still think it makes too much of a case for abdication of responsibility for the "least among us."

I am a 67 year old woman in rather good health, caring for a 75 year old husband with many health problems. Would I get a pass if I just stop giving him food and drink because some days I would rather do other things? More "important" things? I think the solutions to the challenges we face MUST always include everyone in the equation. Isn't it a very slippery slope if we don't? Is it an individual choice to obey traffic lights?

Please do feel free to open this up for a huge discussion.

So… Thoughts?

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Part IV: Be Obedient

(fourth installment of talk entitled, "How being yourself guarantees infinite supply")

When you start opening thought to the Divine in that way [as discussed in Part III], strange things might start occurring to you. Like, maybe you should call that person you haven't talked to in twelve years. Or maybe you should go down to the magazine stand and leaf through some trade publications. Or maybe you should attend an event that has never been on yours schedule before. This step is about trusting these impulses and acting on them.

Let me take you back to that time right after my more recent layoff from the job I loved. I have to admit I was pretty shell-shocked for a month or so. There were some great breakthroughs spiritually, but also moments of deep darkness and depression. What I was especially grieving about was the idea that my voice had been silenced somehow, that I could no longer express all the ideas within me that were bursting to get out and be shared. I felt very cut off from communicating with the world.

I had been going to God in tears about these issues and finding no peace. Finally, after a night when I mercifully got some sleep, I woke up in the morning with this idea: "Start a Weblog."

I thought, What? Can I do that?

Weblogs were still on the new-ish side. They'd been around for a couple years, but I didn't know many people personally who kept one. I also had a weird inhibition about human approval, meaning, could I just do something on my own without someone here on earth telling me it was okay?

And I heard that idea again. "Start a Weblog. Today."

Alrighty then! So I did.

This was prayer in action for me. For the next three years, every day (with very few holidays), I posted what was on my mind about my spiritual journey. This was huge for me. Not only was I sharing my spiritual journey with the wide world, I was learning as I went. The blog started out small, with just a few timid entries where I was barely dipping my toes in the water. As my courage grew, though, I covered every issue that came up, and that was just about everything from sex to drugs to rock and roll.

Now, looking back, I can see that one of the most important but unsuspected aspects of the Weblog was the fact that I was writing every day. Through obedience to Divine Mind, I reconnected with myself as a writer. I hadn't written creatively for many years. I had devoted myself to a spiritual cause, which was right for that time. Now that I was on my own again, God was leading me to ways to find out my own passions and talents.

Angels

Let's go back to MBE's essay on angels. Here's the sentence before what I just read: "God gives you His spiritual ideas, and in turn, they give you daily supplies." (from "Angels")

Here's that equation again: God sends ideas, they lead to what you need. I might add, "if you follow them." The arrival of these ideas is not passive on our part. We need to greet them, welcome them, obey them, take action.

During those months mentioned above, I was also looking here and there for full-time employment. But the idea that came most strongly was to freelance as a writer/editor, possibly for Websites and other marketing applications. I began to turn myself in that direction to see what would happen. Again, this was sheer obedience, with no real overarching desire on my part how it would turn out. I was just trusting that the toothpaste would be there the next day when I needed it.

Tom gave a great example of this [in his talk] yesterday, when he talked about hearing the angel message to stop and turn around. He didn't just hear the message, though, he had to take action! We can hear the message all day long, but if we don't obey it, we don't get anywhere.

So one day, I got the idea to visit the local Congregational church. I'd never visited any church in my community besides my own, so this would be first. Also, it was the same time as my usual church service. The idea was not only to visit that church, but to do it that weekend. No delays. Okay, I'll go!

I went to the service, which was nice, and then also attended the coffee hour afterward. When mentioning to someone there that I'm a Christian Scientist, someone else overheard and came right over to me. He was also just visiting that day. He wanted to connect with me for a business reason due to my faith affiliation. In our conversation, he urged me to attend a trade show for local businesses that was happening that Wednesday.

Huh, I thought. So I went.

There, I met a man at a booth for a telephone service, who took my card and invited me to visit his business networking chapter the following Tuesday. This was my introduction to the referral marketing business group that jump-started my freelance work. While I didn't join his chapter, I did find one closer to my home and joined there. I subsequently never had to do any additional marketing, and my business grew.

Now, just bear in mind none of this would have happened if I hadn't been obedient to that first, out of the blue, idea to visit the local church. Or at least it wouldn’t have happened that way. It was so easy!

Somehow, while I might think of bank accounts or equity lines as finite, I can grasp the idea that ideas are infinite. How can there ever be a shortage of ideas? They fill all space, eternally. That being the case, there is no lack at all, how could there be? Ideas fill the need infinitely.

You have infinite supply because you have infinite ideas arriving moment-by-moment from the Divine. Look to this Source as your fount of blessing, and follow where it leads.

Supply = Idea

A very wise spiritual healer I once knew said this is something we need to demonstrate every day, ongoing. It's not something we figure out once then forget about it. Even if we have all the money in the world, there will still be the need to overcome lack in other areas—maybe time, maybe health, maybe love. Most of us are focused on money as the measure of supply, but I'm becoming convinced this is way off. It's not dollars at all.

So what have I learned? That all I need is ideas. All I need, have ever needed, will ever need is new inspiration from the Divine to direct my next step. That's it. One idea, even, to initiate one next step. For, I can only take one step at a time.

If I'm afraid, if I'm scrambling to make money, if I'm acting under the impression that I need to figure out what to do, I block this free flow of ideas from the Divine. Because it is a free flow. Ideas are pouring out to us constantly. They are the embodiment or articulation of what harmony looks like in our particular instance, and we have constant access to them.

So to me, demonstrating abundance is about demonstrating an openness to ideas and a willingness to be obedient. To not second-guess the ideas, but to follow them with expectation of good.

[We took a break then.]

Someone asked me during the break an interesting question. She wanted to know how to tell the difference between an idea and a dead-end, you know, some idea that's not from the Divine. I talked a little bit about how to me sometimes it the difference between feeling, Huh, that's an interesting idea, and Argh! That idea makes me anxious!

But then she said something the clarified what she meant. She was interested in working more with children, and the idea came to her, "Look into adoption." This made her freeze up! She thought instantly about what it would meant to adopt, how a child in her life would change everything, and how could she do that?

As she told me that story, I stopped her and pointed out (I hope gently), "The idea wasn't, 'Go adopt a child.' The idea was simply, 'Look into adoption.' You don't know where that will lead or whom you might meet. Just follow the idea without expecting what the end will be."

So another element of this is to follow the idea as presented, and not read into it so much that it gets burdened with anxiety and fear. And then, see where it takes you.

As my life opened up in obedience to all these new ideas that came from knowing God more, I was led directly to this concept of being yourself.

TOMORROW: Part V: Be Yourself

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