Living Love
June 17, 1999
Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
Our topic arose last week as a response to one member's admission that his thought was filled with fear, hate and judgmentalism. We wanted to experiment with Living Love and see what came up in thought and action.
The member who led this week revealed her own bitterness and regret over many failed relationships and was having trouble getting any grasp on how one could live Love in such sad circumstances. She requested the rest of us to describe any incidents during the week when we were able to live Love. Here are some responses:
- One member found himself enraged over the dismissive and shaming treatment he was receiving from a bank teller. He withdrew briefly and became engaged in a conversation with another customer about movies. He cooled down, and was then able to do some work in Science to feel the oneness of Being. Things then went smoothly with the teller.
- Another had a singing gig which was not as monetarily successful as an earlier engagement. There were difficulties with the band. The temptation was to become depressed and let this affect the quality of the show. He regained his spirits by knowing that he, the audience and all others were the reflection of divine Love: the show went on beautifully. Later in the week he was able to help a newcomer to Christian Science understand some of its terminology.
- Another member arrived at the gym one morning to find all the TV sets showing sports replays, music videos or a talk show — and a number of exercisers watching each. Usually he finds one of the sets tuned in to the stock market and if not has no trouble asking one of the staff to switch one of the sets. He then usually does metaphysical work as financial and other stories flash across, while he exercises. As he noted the obvious joy of those watching the other programs he was reluctant to ask for a change. It then opened up to him that he could celebrate the joy these others were feeling as reflections of the one Joy which he too could feel — with or without the stock market being on. His usual work could then take this celebratory form. Needless to say he felt wonderfully at peace.
We next discussed more generally the theory of living Love. One member felt the grounding for such action has to be in seeing that divine Love is not based on personal sense but rather on an impersonal, infinite and expansive appreciation of God as all. No one disputed how wonderful this feels when once we tap into it but one member gave a couple of examples of effective human action flowing from a basis in Principle where the attendant feeling may not have been so uplifting, but the action was clearly based on living Love.
- He read from a poem by Anne Bronte entitled "A Word to the Calvinists" taking them to task over the assumption of salvation for the few (i.e., the "elite") and damnation for the rest. This was precisely the point on which Mary Baker Eddy, aged twelve, started her revolt against the established thought of her day. Was she merely a problem child or or was there something deeper going on? Surely this was the opening salvo in the discovery of Christian Science.
- Our member's brother, a lawyer, is not Gay but has recently written The Mother Church about their exclusion of Gay people from membership and employment. Refreshingly, he states, "The purpose of this letter is not to debate the issues, since there is nothing to debate." He describes progress in his own branch in addressing the subject and breakthroughs with Adventures Unlimited in having Gay kids included. He sees homophobia as just one of the exclusionary practices the Church has allowed to separate it from the public. He points out how much bigotry is felt by Christian Scientists themselves when others don't take the time to understand who we are.
It was clear from the above that living Love is not necessarily pleasant in the usual sense. It may require confronting error in oneself and others. One member, who is very prone to take on others when he perceives error, says he has to be and is prepared to deal with someone taking him on too. He feels this is the way we make progress. Others saw this but felt there has to be great love and moderation in pointing out one's "sins" to another. Most people today are so badly wounded by their upbringing that they will simply run away if confronted. We did not resolve this problem, which incidentally has beset us many times in the Group, as long time readers will remember.
There may be the hint of a solution in the interaction of two members during the week. They were discussing something, trying to get the Science of it. They did not like each other's treatments and said so. They reminded each other of the Group's stated goal of providing a safe space to explore issues in Science and were at least able to allow each other to have their own treatment. They also saw how growth promoting it might be if they could take the time to deeply question each other as to the underpinnings of their statements and perhaps even seek a synthesis embodying both versions of truth as reflections of the one Truth.
A few other things came up:
- A member, thinking about the so called relative vs. absolute statements of Science, suddenly realized that he didn't have to see himself, or anyone, as a mortal parsing quotes from the Textbook but could instead look at his own life and that of others as either a relative or absolute depiction of Science. Anything referenced to matter or dualism is the relative assessment of what is actually absolute.
- Thinking of the Balkans as the Russians poured in during the week, one member said to himself, "Well, it's back to 1914." He quickly realized that this cynical, unhelpful thought was not in accordance with the spirit of our topic and then saw that even on a human level things are much different than 1914, in terms of the communications possible and the drive to help people to live together. He saw that the whole thing could be re-visioned as Love reflecting Love, not a bunch of disaffected mortals fearing and hating.
The nature of Christianity is peaceful and blessed, but in order to enter into the kingdom, the anchor of hope must be cast beyond the veil of matter into the Shekinah into which Jesus has passed before us; and this advance beyond matter must come through the joys and triumphs of the righteous as well as through their sorrows and afflictions. Like our Master, we must depart from material sense into the spiritual sense of being.
This is the doctrine of Christian Science: that divine Love cannot be deprived of its manifestation, or object; that joy cannot be turned into sorrow, for sorrow is not the master of joy; that good can never produce evil; that matter can never produce mind nor life result in death. The perfect man—governed by God, his perfect Principle—is sinless and eternal.
Divine Love is infinite. Therefore all that really exists is in and of God, and manifests His love.
Principle, instead of person, is next to our hearts, on our lips, and in our lives. Our watchwords are Truth and Love; and if we abide in these, they will abound in us, and we shall be one in heart,—one in motive, purpose, pursuit. Abiding in Love, not one of you can be separated from me; and the sweet sense of journeying on together, doing unto others as ye would they should do unto you, conquers all opposition, surmounts all obstacles, and secures success. If you falter, or fail to fulfil this Golden Rule, though you should build to the heavens, you would build on sand.
By what strange perversity is the best become the most abused,—either as a quality or as an entity? Mortals misrepresent and miscall affection; they make it what it is not, and doubt what it is. The so-called affection pursuing its victim is a butcher fattening the lamb to slay it. What the lower propensities express, should be repressed by the sentiments. No word is more misconstrued; no sentiment less understood. The divine significance of Love is distorted into human qualities, which in their human abandon become jealousy and hate.
Love is not something put upon a shelf, to be taken down on rare occasions with sugar-tongs and laid on a rose-leaf. I make strong demands on love, call for active witnesses to prove it, and noble sacrifices and grand achievements as its results.
The "I" will go to the Father when meekness, purity, and love, informed by divine Science, the Comforter, lead to the one God: then the ego is found not in matter but in Mind, for there is but one God, one Mind; and man will then claim no mind apart from God.