Sunday, June 28, 2009

Hearing Truth's Susurrus Loud and Clear

My apologies for the (perhaps welcome) hiatus--assuming anyone noticed and cares enough to return and read this belated entry. Lives have become far too complex and frantic. We probably have at least 50 electric motors, large and small, in this house and its contents, the majority of which hum along efficiently and reliably day after day, but with that many motors and their attendant compressors, appliances, and devices, lawns and plantings and their innumerable biological afflictions, water, electricity, and gas with their respective meters spinning ever, it seems, a toute vitesse, one's home can readily become, without good metaphysical work, the devil's rec room.

Akira Kurosawa's superb film Ran (chaos), a masterpiece, is his retelling of Shakespeare's King Lear, as his magnificent Throne of Blood is a retelling of Macbeth. Both of these films are set in Japan's chaotic medieval period and testify, in part, to mortal mind's hidden conspiracy to assert itself and drown out goodness, love, and peace. If permitted to do so, tumult will indeed drown out, in our consciousness, Truth and its still small voice.

Why doesn't Truth drown out error with an even louder voice? Why does Truth seem to speak sotto voce? Well, first of all, Truth's omnipotence and omnipresence do not compete with anything, being All. The comptition for attention is in our thinking. Mrs. Eddy tells us we must "silence the material senses". (S&H 15:16) When prayerfully listened for and heard "The inaudible voice of Truth is, to the human mind, 'as when a lion roareth.'" (S&H 559:10-11) So it is perfectly audible to the receptive thought, but often the din of material existence seems to drown it out. We cannot afford to suppose that Truth is ever drowned out by anything, even for a moment. It can only be our disobedience to God which deafens us to Him and turns up the volume on cacophanous human activity.

False belief, personal sense, always plays with a cold deck, and we must quit taking that tempting seat at its card table and again and again tossing our ante hopefully into the pot. It is a game no one ever wins but the house of error. If we haven't already done so we would be wise to "Be still and know that I am God", or "Let be then: learn that I am God". (The New English Bible)

21 comments:

California C.S. said...

Welcome back, blogger. Have been checking your blog just about every day to see what you've been thinking about, and glad to read this one. Extremely well done, something we all meet with in this day-to-day existence.
Thanks so much!

Anonymous...at present said...

Have missed you, but glad you're back. You do come up with words I have never encountered! To the dictionary--once again.
Very well written esssay here.

Hartford, CT said...

An arresting title, and a well crafted blog post. Can't help thinking of something CS teaches, that the material senses shut God right out. Our Leader states it better than this in the textbook, but this is the gist of the thing.
Keep up your good work...

Thanks from New England said...

You write so very well, and I always enjoy visiting your blog. Don't I know what you mean in this one! Finding time, or rather being disciplined enough to "be still" is the challenge. But we can't afford to let anything crowd God out of our lives.

Best from NH said...

Love your blog. It's always so thought-provoking, worth taking time for.
Keep up your sharing with us,

Anonymous said...

Hi there,
Couldn't help thinking about something when I read your excellent posting: if our Lord and Master needed to "go up into the mountain", think how much more we need to?!
Thanks,

Dorothy (PA) said...

How right you are, blogger. Not only wise to get still and contemplate God's allness: it is essential, especially in these times with so much coming at us daily.
Thanks for sharing your spiritual insights!

With my thanks said...

Don't we all yearn to hear Truth's voice more clearly?! Your blog post should help in that direction.
Best wishes to you,

Ft. Lauderdale said...

Dear Blogger,
Such talent in expressing your thoughts. A real treat to read this website.
God bless you for caring about CS.

Patrick said...

Excellent point about it can only be our disobedience to God that keeps us from hearing His wonderful voice. I once read that Jesus was l00% obedient, and he is our way to go. I have work to do!

Jack (NYC) said...

Such a pleasure to read something on Christian Science that is so well written!
Keep using your God-given talent.

CS (Canada) said...

Evening,
Have missed your erudite essays, and glad to see you're back in good form.
God bless,

Betty (VA) said...

You have such a fresh way of discussing CS topics--not in the same old tired way we've read for years.
Hope you keep sending them out to us!

Appreciate you said...

Ditto what others have commented on, namely, your originality and talent in presenting spiritual truths.
Keep at it!

your Cambridge fan said...

Your website is such a blessing in my opinion. And you certainly are educating some of us! Admit I had never run across that unusual word in your title. You are one learned blogger.

Tempe, AZ said...

Oh, how important it is for any follower of Christ Jesus and student of Christian Science to cultivate listening to God, to find time to listen to His angel messages. Our very well-being depends on this!
Thanks much,

Grateful said...

A most interesting blog post here. One thing that has helped me immensely, as a student of Christian Science, is something our Leader gives in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures"..."What is "Mind?", pages 469 and 470. What Mary Baker Eddy writes here is an invaluable aid in keeping thought clear and focused on what matters most, I am finding. Takes discipline, though.

Dallas (S.W.) said...

Hi Blogger,
I really like the way you write, and always enjoy checking out your latest.
Very helpful, thanks.

L.R. said...

So glad there's the Internet so people with abilities like you can express them without the watering down at official levels. The periodicals could benefit from your essays, but I suspect they don't want talent like you have to outshine what they put out.
Glad you're doing this!

An appreciative fan said...

Thanks for a very fine blog post. Enjoyed reading this, and found an earlier one, on unlimited unfolding of holy thoughts very helpful as well.

Portland said...

Just love your thinking man's (and woman's) website. Always take something worthwhile from what you share with us.
Thanks!