Splash of Spirit: Credit Where It's Due

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Credit Where It's Due

I have gotten my understanding of life from the study of the Bible and of Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy. Every truth I come to goes back to there, and I find it said there, such that I suppose I could use all words from those books, instead of my own. But that would fail to illumine the process of my thought – that I’ve come to feel these things are true not by adopting them from the books but by finding them out on my own. In fact, this is the clear directive of both Jesus and Mrs. Eddy. Jesus told his followers to do as he did. Mrs. Eddy enjoins her readers, “see for yourself.” The ideas you see here are me thinking and striving to live the truth, working to understand myself and the world, getting dirt under my fingernails and juice down my elbows, reading and experiencing all kinds of things and attempting to pull them all in to the unity of thought that I feel exists here.

I will say you can find everything about Truth in those books, but not just by reading them. You have to have an intense personal quest to know what is true. You have to follow that. You have to be willing to think it through on your own, using your daily experience as a laboratory and testing things out for yourself. Then you will get it.

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About this blog

This blog was originally entitled “Healing Through Prayer.” I launched it from a need to share my thoughts, but also in the hope of it helping to start my career as a Christian Science practitioner - one who heals through prayer. I would still love for such a career to develop, but my need now is to humbly accept what is given me, which is the desire to write. I’m counting on prayer to guide me in all the hard work required to develop myself as a writer.

I took a long pause from this blog while I was figuring that out. Now I have returned, and have revised the title to make it more true. I have been disabused of the initial hope that this blog would be wildly popular. Since you’re here reading, welcome. I deeply appreciate your presence.

Further Explanation

I am a Christian Scientist. I am not hiding it, although it seems there are many who will write me off at those words - some unnamed fear prompting in them a shuddered response, “I don’t want to read anything about that.”

Christians have been told we are a cult. Others have been told, and repeat with great indignation, that we irresponsibly neglect ourselves and our children in our unwillingness to make sacrifices at the altar of “modern medicine.” It becomes tempting to hide my affiliation so that people will be open-minded enough to listen.

I am a Christian Scientist, but this blog is not an explication of official views. Indeed, the phrase “official views” would make it sound like someone else - officials or collectives - does our thinking for us (an oxymoronic proposition). My attraction to Christian Science, besides the irresistible light of Spirit, has been the opportunity to soar in thought, to explore ideas that open windows of possibility.

I believe that we all are one, and our experience of Spirit is shared. Each one’s uplift energizes our collective rise to the consciousness of joy and power which is our natural state. I try to speak in a language that anyone can grasp, of things anyone can use, whether or not they have donned a mantle of faith and adopted articles of belief. I don’t think these make any difference to Spirit.

There are many generous people who share their experience of Christian Science - not official views but accounts which serve to guide seekers toward the understanding which is accompanied by healing. You can find some of these at ChristianScience.com and jsh.christianscience.com/.

This blog contains my ideas and experiences relating to Spirit. I share them because I must. My goal is to be honest and clear. My hope is that it will bring inspiration.