The Divine Spark

  
   

The concept of a “divine spark” hit the news recently, when one national leader reportedly chastised another for calling certain vicious gang members “animals,” as they, like everyone, has a divine spark within. I was surprised to see a mystical idea expressed in that arena.

So I decided to explore the question: What is a divine spark? According to Christian author William Lane Craig, the idea of a divine spark, most common in Gnostic and mystical religions, is that every human being possesses either a connection with God or a "part" of God. The goal of life, then, is to allow the divine spark to influence us toward love, peace, and harmony. Upon death, the divine spark returns to God

Lane writes,  even though each of us possesses a soul-spirit, or divine spark, only a person redeemed by Christ can truly connect with God, so without a relationship with Jesus there can be no light or “divine spark.”

Ernest Holmes doesn’t specifically use the term “divine spark,” but teaches that we are all spirit having a human experience. We don’t have to be redeemed by Christ; the spark is there, we are expressions of God in action, and we have within us a power that can overcome every obstacle in our life and set us safe, satisfied and at peace, healed and prosperous, in a new light, and in a new life. 

So if everyone has this divine spark within, and God is all Good, how do we reconcile this belief with the viciousness, the evil, the atrocities, the suffering and more that we see in our world? 

Holmes says that man is made out of and from Life and must partake of the Divine Nature from which he springs. We are what we are, and we use this nature for better or for worse. We have volition and choice.

Surely if God or Universal Intelligence is imbued with goodness, he says, then it could not ordain that man ultimately be other than a perfect expression life. But God could not make an automatic individuality, and this explains why man suffers and behaves in discordant ways.

So man has free will, free to discover the divinity within, or not.  Potential man is just as perfect as the inherent God. The only way God can evolve a spontaneous individual is to let him alone and allow him to awaken to himself. Man must be created with the possibility of limitless freedom and left alone to discover himself.

We must know that the Universe is for us and not against us, he continues. But you might say, “the Universe is NOT for us, look at the evil, the limitation, lack and physical pain and anguish of the human race.” ....We shall have to learn that evil is neither person, place nor thing of itself, but is an experience which we are allowed to have...because of our divine individuality...until through negative experiences we learn to use the Law affirmatively. If we are free we can choose more than one course of action as an experience.

He adds that there is no sin but a mistake, no punishment but inevitable consequence. Wrong doing must be punished by the Law of Cause and Effect.  The age-long discussion of the problem of evil will never be answered until we realize that evil is not a thing of itself. It is simply a misuse of the Law of Freedom.

Evil will disappear when we no longer indulge in it, he concludes Then, and not until then, will the problem of evil be solved for the entire race. So while a vicious gang member, or other apparent evil doer, has a spark of divinity within, he has not claimed it, is not expressing it, and his behavior is in discord with the perfect Goodness of the Divine.

Thus, if we judge that person as an “animal,” which seems a blanket insult to all animals, it is the discordant, vicious behavior we are calling out. His divine spark is hidden.

And so it is.

On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp6b8WIX1Po
Treatment and talk start at 9:45

On Positive Thinking

I’ve been reading Barbara Ehrenreich’s Bright-Sided, How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America, in which she debunks the American cultural emphasis on a cheerful, optimistic and upbeat frame of mind. She traces it’s origin from reaction to the cold, unforgiving gloom of 19th century Calvin Puritanism to the arrival of the New Thought movement, with which we, as Religious Scientists, are associated. Positive thinking, as well such ideas as The Law of Attraction, came out of this movement. They are delusional, she indicates, rather than realistic.

In the chapter “Smile or Die,” she describes her own experience with the pink ribbon culture of breast cancer, with its dictate to have a positive attitude so the mind-body can boost the immune system to defeat cancer. Otherwise, if you developed cancer, your negative thinking brought it on. If you became terminal, you weren’t positive enough.

She took issue with this and with the characterization of breast cancer, not as a problem, but as a gift deserving heartfelt gratitude, a passport to a better life and connection to the Divine. She noted reports of some women being expelled from support groups when their cancer metastasized and it was clear they would never graduate to become “survivors.”

She sees tyranny in positive thinking, a heavy burden on patients to repress anger, sadness or disgust, especially if their cancer progresses.

Happily, she did survive, but angry that blame falls on patients rather than such suspicious carcinogens as hormone replacement therapy or other toxins. “Breast cancer, I can now report, did not make me prettier or stronger, more feminine or spiritual. What it gave me, if you want to call this a ‘gift,’ was a very personal agonizing encounter with an ideological force in American culture that I had not been aware of before -- one that encourages us to deny reality, submit cheerfully to misfortune, and blame only ourselves for our fate.”

I got to thinking about my own experience with breast cancer almost 25 years ago. I had conventional treatment, and then I did everything I could to get well. Even my surgeon recommended positive thinking, with Bernie Siegel’s book and a video on boosting the immune system. I went to a support group, where we were able to vent our suppressed emotions, even if negative, as well as positive thoughts for healing. When my mind drifted to negative catastrophic thoughts, I sang a song to myself that I had written about being radiantly healthy.

I did everything I could to heal myself. I went to the Optimal Health Institute with its raw food and wheat grass regime. I changed my diet, read voraciously, took supplements, even went back to graduate school.

Like Barbara, I suspected that hormone replacement therapy produced the cancer. I didn’t blame myself. But anger and focusing on the negative wasn't helpful. I didn’t deny the reality of the condition, but I chose positive thinking plus a personal action plan. 

Eventually, I discovered Science of Mind and embarked on a spiritual path. I learned to use Spiritual Mind Treatment, which emphasizes affirmative prayer plus positive action. “Treat and Use Your Feet.” Unlike Barbara, I am grateful for the gift of a spiritual path, and a connection to the Divine.

And so it is.

The Happy Poet

As a film buff, I find myself looking for principles of Science of Mind in the stories. Recently I saw an indie film, The Happy Poet, which was written, directed, and edited by Paul Gordon, who also stars. It’s a low-key comedy about an introverted, low energy, emotionally flat corporate refugee and struggling entrepreneur, Bill, with an M.A. in poetry, who dreams of operating an organic sandwich stand.

He manages to get a $750 start-up loan from a smug bank officer, who puts down his idea and suggests that a hot-dog stand would be a better choice. He buys on installment a used hot-dog stand from a cranky, stiff-necked owner, and proceeds to offer his “eggless egg” sandwiches and hummus pitas in an Austin, Texas park.

His first customers want hot dogs, but he attracts into his orbit two characters, a pot dealer, who  partners as a  deliveryman, and an aging hippy, who gushes over the food and is rewarded with free handouts. Also, he attracts a pretty woman with whom he fails awkwardly to develop a relationship. They all brainstorm and come up with the name, "The Happy Poet" for Bill's business.

Well, the premise sounded promising, but the low-key, mumblecore style couldn’t hold my interest. I fast-forwarded to the end and was surprised to see that Bill, the poet, had his own brick and mortar "The Happy Poet" restaurant, powered by solar energy; a fleet of delivery people, wearing green "The Happy Poet" T-shirts, on bicycles; an electric "The Happy Poet" car; a mobile food truck run by his pregnant wife (the aforementioned love interest); and a business partnership with the two characters, now friends. With his arm around his two partners, in his monotone, deadpan voice, he declares: “I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy.”

So what happened? I had to go back and see how all this transpired. After a number of ups and down, bumps and wrong turns, betrayals, money issues, missed opportunities with the love interest, and a brief detour into “hot-dog day,” he achieves his dream.

The hippy happened to have a cousin, Derek, a venture capitalist who has shown interest in Bill’s idea. But Bill is not very convincing as an entrepreneur. Derek confronts him, with, “I don’t think you believe in "The Happy Poet.”

Bill’s initial phlegmatic responses become a bit more passionate. With as much indignity and passion that he can muster, he bristles. “I believe in "The Happy Poet." I believe in "The Happy Poet" more than you could know, Derek. I’m "The Happy Poet," not you. I’m "The Happy Poet.” And with a few insults to Derek, he walks out.

We see Derek with a knowing smile. And we see Bill striding tall and confidently. What do you know? He mustered up some energy and passion, in that polite, inimical low-key style.

Next thing we see he has enough money to pay off his bank loan and the hot dog cart, which he returns. “I got lucky,” he says. He also has the confidence to leave an organic sandwich on the porch of his lady love. Thus the happy ending.

But was it luck? I see it as the Law of Attraction in action, powered by his generous nature, his authenticity, his talent with organic food, his perseverance, and the strong belief and passion for his vision. Basically he affirms, “I AM 'The Happy Poet.'” And that’s what he becomes.  This unassuming, introverted guy can inspire all of us as we pursue our own dreams.

And so it is.

The Law of Attraction in Action

A recent L.A. Times article, “A role that bit him like a spider” by Sonaiya Kelley,  discussed the latest Spider Man animated film which introduces Miles Morales, a Black and Latino incarnation of the superhero Spider-Man, into the Marvel Comics universe.  Shameik Moore, an actor, rapper, singer, and dancer of Jamaican descent, was chosen from hundreds of people who auditioned for the role.

Moore has said that he manifested the role. While filming a previous movie, a colleague gave him a journal and he began writing, “I am Miles Morales. I am Spider-Man.,” manifesting the thought into existence. He is quoted as saying, “Out of all the kids auditioning for this movie, I was chosen. How important is [the role] to me? I mean how important is it for Miles to save the universe?”

He further says: “I attracted that to me. It took a few months to really solidify it, but it ended up working out.”

This got me thinking about the Law of Attraction. It warrants a chapter in Ernest Holmes’ Science of Mind. “Thought can attract to us that which we first mentally embody, that which has become a part of our mental make-up, a part of our inner understanding. “

He adds, Our conscious and unconscious thought makes up our mental atmosphere, which is either attracting or repelling. Like attracts like. Whatever one reflects into Mind tends to take form.

Ernest Holmes didn’t invent the Law of Attraction. The concepts have been around for centuries; even Buddha and Christ alluded to it, without specifically calling it The Law of Attraction. It first appeared in print by the Russian theosophist Helena Blavatsky, and first articulated by Prientice Mulford, an early New Thought author.

Many books and Internet sites target The Law of Attraction. It’s been popularized by the film, The Secret, and several commercial enterprises are selling the secret behind “The Secret,” to really make it work. For about $50, you can learn to manifest your dreams with energetic vibrational language, or balance your intention point-- that space between heart and mind -- to send correct signals to the Universe.

Of course there are those who say the Law of Attraction doesn’t exist. Neil Farber, M.D. Ph.D., writing in Psychology Today, says that it is  “metaphysical pseudoscience with conclusions based on erroneous, unfounded, and often incorrect assumptions.” And he outlines all the erroneous assumptions, many of which I don’t find in our own teaching.

For example, he mentions the focus on material wealth with no action,  no plan, and no deadlines needed. Challenges are negative thoughts to be avoided, as is compassion -- so don’t get involved with any charity or helping the needy, which attracts more negativity and poverty. Don’t join support groups, with mental or physical problems, such as AA, which will make your problems worse. Blame yourself for any illness or negative event.

This doesn’t sound like the way we use the Law of Attraction here, or the way I’ve been using it. Spiritual Mind Treatment addresses The Law of Attraction in a way that brings the Spiritual element to the forefront, and also says: “Treat and Use Your Feet.” Be proactive.

We declare our truth in the present moment, re-framing negative thoughts to positives; we also develop plans, goals and timelines, and get support help when we need it. Therapy, medical treatments for illness are all seen as expressions of God in action. We don’t play the victim; we empower ourselves to go forward in life as co-creators with God, to manifest our dreams.

To attract the role of Miles Morales, the actor was proactive and prepared. He was co-creating with Universal Mind when he used the tools of manifestation.

And so can we all.

Fire and Smoke

“Surreal scenes unfold as a fire ‘like Armageddon’ barrels toward West Hills," screamed an L.A. Times headline yesterday. TV coverage of the Woolsey Fire confirmed this, as did a number of evacuees interviewed by news teams.

“Armageddon,” said one. “Apocalyptic," said another. Shelters for the displaced are set up; freeways closed; Pepperdine University students ordered to shelter in place. Some people camped out on Zuma Beach.
  
You’d think we’d be used to these disasters in California, but we’re not.  A whole town, Paradise, burned to the ground? The entire city of Malibu mandated to evacuate, as well as thousands of others in Calabasas, Agoura, Hidden Hills, Bell Canyon, parts of Thousand Oaks and Simi? Homes --some million dollar homes - totally destroyed, people losing everything, some losing their very lives.
 
Outside, the air smelled of smoke. I decided to stay indoors.
  
It was in December of last year that I spoke about the wildfires and high winds accelerating the spread. Then it was burning hillsides, evacuations, people driving through walls of fire, first responders battling blazes on the ground while tankers and helicopters made drops of water and fire retardant.
  
It was all very  heartbreaking and sad. Eventually the fire was contained; recovery for some is probably still going on. Now we have a repeat, and it’s worse. Residents of Thousand Oaks hadn’t recovered from the mass shooting of a few days earlier, and now this.
  
Even though we can get sucked into negative thinking by all this going on in our world of conditions, we can still feel gratitude in the enormous effort made by all the personnel and resources mobilized yet again for this devastating firestorm.
  
Through the Internet I found resources, such as the Red Cross and other volunteer organizations where we can donate funds, supplies, shelter, humanitarian help for animals and more. We know we’ll get through this, and we can also offer our prayers, our Spiritual Mind Treatments of healing love, in support.
 
 I looked in Ernest Holmes’ Science of Mind for something inspirational, and found this brief Meditation: (p.537)

“Despair gives way to joy at the thought of Thee, Indwelling Good.

I cannot be sad when I think of Thee.
My sorrow is turned to gladness and my shame to rejoicing.
My tears are wiped away and the sunlight of the Spirit shines
  through the clouds of depression and lights the way to Heaven.
 Thy Joy has made me glad.”    

And so it is.

Trust, Belief, Faith and Knowing

Recently, I was exercising on the elliptical at my local gym and, as usual, I had a paperback book to read. Upon leaving, I realized I had forgotten my book. I went back to the machines and even checked the restroom, but the book wasn’t there. So I asked the young lady at the desk if it had been turned in, which it wasn’t, and to let me know if it turned up. She took my name and telephone number to call me, and I did a Spiritual Mind Treatment on the way to the car that the book would be safely recovered. It was a library book, and it’s expensive if lost, but possible to replace more cheaply.

After a few days, when she didn’t call, I ordered a replacement from Amazon. The next time I went to the gym, she smiled as I came in and said, “I have your book.”

So I realized....I had lost faith. The Spiritual Mind Treatment went to work as soon as I declared it, but I didn’t have patience. I didn’t trust the treatment would work, and I ordered the book. Meanwhile, the treatment had been activated and book recovered.

So this is a small thing, right? Why bring it up? Because sometimes a demonstration isn’t immediate. Sometimes it’s working and we don’t know it. And in my case, my trust in the process had eroded. It was a small thing but caused me to really examine my relationship to affirmative prayer and Science of Mind.

I’ve been having a number of physical challenges this year, everything from sleep apnea, urinary tract infections, cataracts, intestinal infection, dental issues, a leg injury and to top it off, a broken toe. Then anxiety about all this and other issues around aging swirled around in my head until insomnia kicked in. So sometimes I feel like a basket case. Too much monkey mind; too much anxiety and fear.

So I decided to immerse myself in the teaching; I’m taking SOM 103 with Reverends Kathy and Jessica, and it’s bringing me back to basics. Even though I’ve taken these classes before, and even become an ordained minister. I’m finding fresh inspiration in reading again about the Principles of Successful Living, Mental Equivalents and the Law of Attraction, Spiritual Mind Treatment and meditation.

It’s not enough to simply declare our intention with our objective mind. We must work at it until the subjective mind, our unconscious mind, believes what we say. I can declare: “There is One Supreme Intelligence which governs, guides and guards, tells me what to do, when to act and how to act.” But it’s not enough to just say it: I must know it, see it, feel it and BE it; If I do this every day I can build my trust, my belief, my faith in the creative process.  Only then can I get to truly KNOWING the Truth.

Meditation helps, because this is when we can quiet the mind, relax the body, and be open and receptive to Spirit. This little book, “The Joy of Meditation,” offers different ways to meditate. I like "Letting Go With Balance.”

First, I sit in the silence and periodically let go of, and release, every problem, all fear and anxiety, until I feel a sense of freedom. Then in the second part I interject the silence with declarations that God is able -- able to heal each and every concern. With this meditation I’m working to let go of all those monkey mind anxieties, and accept my highest good. As I practice this, my goal is a more balanced, healthy life.

And so it is.

Let's Tidy Up

This month’s theme at the Granada Hills Center for Spiritual Living is “Prosperity, Abundance, Wealth.” Living in my home for 43 years, raising a family, being a wife and then a mother, and then living alone for the past 10 years, I see the material evidence, certainly, of abundance.

An abundance of stuff. I’ve decluttered at different intervals, but there’s still a lot of stuff in the house...stuff I don’t really use or need.

I recently embarked on another decluttering mission, and ended up with 12 boxes of clothes, shoes, purses, books, a straw hat and a wedding dress waiting for a truck for the take away.

I came across a little graphic novel, “The Life-changing Manga of Tidying Up, A Magical Story,” by Marie Kondo. The heroine, 29-year-old Chiaki, is living in the midst of immense clutter. She signs up for a tidying lesson with Konmari, who promises tidying up will change Chiaki’s life and fill it with joy.

Chiaki needs first to visualize her ideal lifestyle and how tidying up can dramatically change her life. Konmari says material things need to be functional, informational, emotional, or possess rarity, but most important...they must spark joy. Take each item in hand and ask: Does it spark joy when I touch it? Is this something that’s going to make me happy?

The novel proceeds with various tips:  Fold clothes rather than hang, and fold with gratitude for the way they protect you. Unread, neglected books that don’t bring joy are discarded. Store so things are easily accessible.

Sentimental items are last. The principle here:  Your life now is more important than memories of the past. What really matters is not the past but the person you have now become, thanks to those past experiences.  Space can now be used NOT for the person you once were, but for your future self.

Once the home is filled with only things that spark joy, it becomes a joyful place. Real life begins. Konmari says if people are unable to discard things, they are either attached to the past or afraid of the future. So tidying up can set ourselves free.

By clearly identifying our own joy point, she says, we can gain confidence and trust in our own future.  Space opens up for positive things to happen out of the blue, to have different experiences and more.

So I realized: 12 boxes is not enough. There is a whole lot of remaining stuff that doesn’t spark joy, that’s attached to the past, and can be discarded. Then I have the space, the mindset, the clarity,   and confidence for Spirit, as Ernest Holmes says, to manifest an abundance of whatever I need to make my life NOW happy, opulent, and joyful.

And so it is.