Everyday Spirituality

From 1830 to 1900, a tide of influential Americans — artists, writers, painters and doctors — braved the treacherous journey across the Atlantic to visit Paris. They were faced with newness and oftentimes an intense loneliness which drove the fragile back home. Those who stuck it out, learned from the French and their expanded view profoundly changed not only the travelers, but also America itself.

Charles Sumner studied at the Paris-Sorbonne University, he was astonished to see black students treated as equals and, as a result, Sumner returned to America to become an unflinching voice against slavery.

Sorbonne

James Fenimore Cooper (author of “The Last of the Mohicans”) wrote some of his most significant works in Paris, working with his close friend Samuel F.B. Morse. Morse was inspired by the French communication system of semaphores and went on to invent the modern electrical telegraph. History has shown that his famous code radically changed communications and presented a global interaction.

From Science and Health, “There is neither place nor opportunity in Science for error of any sort. Every day makes its demands upon us for better proofs rather than verbal claims of Christian power. These proofs consist solely in the destruction of sin, sickness, and death by the power of Spirit, as Jesus destroyed them. This is an element of progress, and progress is the law of God, whose law demands of us only what we can certainly fulfill.”

How can I miss it? Plastered all over the news, Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher are getting a divorce. But, a lot of people are getting divorced. Moore and Kutcher had 6 protracted years, plenty of time to get bored of one another, bicker over finances, and become weary of asking, “Will you please give me all of your attention and make me happy.” I have no idea who Ashton Kutcher is, but I did see Demi Moore once in a movie called, umm, okay I forgot the title, but in the film, Moore portrayed a soldier in training and she appeared pretty darn tough, so what happened with the marriage? Boot camp, marriage, same thing.

These camps generally include high-intensity exercises meant to motivate and push people to learn how to collaborate and yet perform outstandingly as an individual. The key is to have a mission, something important like fighting for the nation’s freedom or raising a family or for the simple reason to love one another.

Divorce only comes as a big surprise to those who believe marriage was the finishing touch to freedom, family, or love. There is no finishing touch. Freedom, family, and love go on forever and ever and we have to fight for them because the human ego, the habit to blame others for our problems, and the tendency to manipulate others to fit whacked-out expectations, are constantly complicating the situation.

In my 28 year marriage, there have been times when I wanted to leave, but when I exercise spirituality—hope, faith, empathy, wisdom—the fear, dread, willfulness, and anger self-fade.

From Science and Health, “Exercise the power of intelligence, to displace unintelligent behavior. The application of spiritual intelligence can also cause threatening situations to self-destruct.”

The expression mind over matter was popularized during the 1960’s and 70’s, but then so was the phrase peace and love, however their references were myopic. Peace and love meant no war and sex. Mind over matter is used to indicate the human mind over physical matter. But these phrases were not practical, we now know, sex is not love and the human mind is categorically blinkered.

As with anything “popular” we need to assess calmly the bigger picture. We then find a realistic answer of  spiritual love and spiritual consciousness which are supported by divine Mind. As human foibles surrender to the divine Mind, our behavior becomes practical and safe. Following divine Mind, we find peace, love and power over matter.

From Science and Health, “Humanity begins to understand the power of mind over matter and the importance of better thinking. Be aware: some thought influences can pretend to be good or in our best interest, but are just as dangerous as harmful drugs. This is mental malpractice and is criminal, working against common humanity, honesty, and justice. Divine Mind-practice requires human mind to yield to the divine consciousness, to unite with the spiritual thought moving heavenward.”