It is something of a mystery, but also a matter of some self-reproach and embarrassment, that I, like perchance a few others, continue to blink open my eyes each morning to the hideous Medusa of mortal mind and with an almost familial toleration of its destructive and malevolent nature. It wants me dead, and yet I proceed matin after matin to eat contentedly a bowl of cereal in its corrosive presence. Of course I work and pray to overcome false belief and to be a better Christian Scientist, but there doubtless remains the subtle attraction to think too much "of many things:/Of shoes--and ships--and sealing wax--/Of cabbages--and kings--/And why the sea is boiling hot--/And whether pigs have wings." (Lewis Carroll, "Alice Through the Looking Glass")
Just because I'm not goldbricking--at least I hope not--doesn't mean I can venture out to meet the Adversary with a butter knife in one hand and in the other one of those pistols that has a flag which drops down saying "Bang!" when the trigger is pulled. Notebooks full of comforting, well-thumbed quotations and truths which have become little more than bromides won't do. A deeper--far deeper--spiritual sense of the word is needed, desperately needed. Not frantic page turning, but more watchful, prayerful, patient, and humble awareness of God's omnipresence and omnipotence. More of the spiritual pectin of grace would doubtless help Truth, Life, and Love to "jell" in consciousness. Too many undigested truths can race around in restless and unimproved thought, elbowing and tripping each other like so many Stooges in a metaphysical roller derby.
In some of us--well, speaking for myself--there inhabits, in spite of wonderful intentions, a bit too much of grand Oblomov (the hero of a novel of that name by Goncharov), of well-intentioned indolence. No, of course I don't set out to strike a convivial pose with the devil, but Mrs. Eddy's warnings about animal magnetism and aggressive mental suggestion must be resolutely locked and loaded in consciousness. Mrs. Eddy wrote in "Miscellany" (241: 6-9) about the need for being alert to mortal mind's attempts to undermine advancement where class instruction is concerned. It seems to me her admonition could just as easily apply to any Christlike endeavor we are inspired to undertake.
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25 comments:
You're back! And with a very well thought-out and expressed blog posting.
Thank for sharing your experiences with mortal mind. A lot of humility here.
YOU are so good at this blogging on CS. Nobody out there quite like you. Arresting title, as always. And a most thought-provoking discussion. If it's any comfort to you, you're not alone in your efforts to surmound what the one liar says--to all of us in one form or another.
Thanks for this one,
Checking your blog every day has paid off! You do broaden my horizons, literary-ily speaking. Always learn something new.
You have described my experience with battling mortal beliefs. But thank God, we have the means to do it, through Christian Science.
Really like this essay. A very serious topic and you've dealt with in a humble, learned way. Aren't we thankful to all our Leader gives us to combat these challenges we all face!
There's something different about this blog post, to me. It is touching, and it should encourage many of out here who have the same struggles you so expertly have captured.
Keep up the fight! Victory over error is certain, with the help you obviously have in your understanding of divine Science.
Definitely a thinking man's blog, as I've said before and no doubt will say many times in the future.
Really well done, one that should help many students of Science.
Really good. I like the whole piece, but especially the part about "Christlike endeavors". Appreciate so much your using your considerable talent to help the CS Field. We need more like you!
Another very fine essay. You must know the place in Prose Works where our Leader speaks of those who name the name of Christ can't be stopped from going on to God. It's too late in the evening here to go look it up, but will in the am and get back to you.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Inspiring.
Love and appreciation to you for being such a dedicated follower of Christ and Christian Science.
A wonderful blog post.
You do such a good job on these topics, and I commend you for your obvious devotion to what our religion demands of us.
Thanks for blogging.
Christian, you are a treasure. You make me feel less like a voice crying in the wilderness "READ Science and Health! Pay attention to HOW it says things, not just WHAT is said, becasue the HOW is a great part of the WHAT. Don't intone its words as a mantra, but THINK, and then don't just repeat un-thought-thru sententiae and expect that to heal! Or as MBE might say 'Direct your reason rightly."
Thanks for ever patiently and lovingly nudging us all to a more rigorous and truthful "take" on the texts of CS.
Goodmorning to you there,
Back on with the precise quotation from our Leader I referred to yesterday. It's from "Miscellaneous Writings", p. 19: "He who has named the name of Christ, who has virtually accepted the divine claims of Truth and Love in divine Science, is daily departing from evil; and all the wicked endeavors of suppositional demons can never change the current of that life from steadfastly flowing on to God, its divine source."
Very well done. As yours almost always are. Yes, the carnal mind will try to undermine us at every point, it is true. The novice CS doesn't want to think about this, but the mature student, the committed student, will confront the work needed and rise higher.
Thanks much.
This is a stunner! That part about mortal mind wanting you dead got my attention. This is what it wants for us all. As I believe it was perhaps Dr. Tutt who wrote in an early article, mortal mind creates its offspring for the purpose of killing them. But all that the Bible and the teachings of Christian Science provide will keep sincere students on upward wing. You are safe in the care of the One you are serving, blogger.
Love the fresh way you tackle important issues for us out here. And the comments I've just read are right on as well.
Good job, blogger. Keep it going.
A most rewarding little essay. Brought to my thought something our Wayshower told his disciples one day. Jesus said in essence that all power had been given to him in heaven and in earth and that no power of the enemy could harm them. This applies to us today, does it not?
Dear Writer,
Thank you for providing a means for such a heavy discussion we've got going on here. A vital topic, and one all serious CS's need to think about.
A fascinating blog post. What I can add is this: our work as followers of the Christ Science is not done until we see what Mary Baker Eddy says about mortal mind, namely that is "nothing claiming to be something." I have much work to do before I reach this level, though have at times certainly. It is seeing it and maintaining this degree of recognizing divine reality that compels me to keep at it.
No doubt you will!
Thoroughly enjoy the way you think and write. Do continue sending out such high-level, worthwhile blog posts!
Really get a lot from your blog posts, and I know others do, too. What a blessing you are to Christian Science!
Such talent and originality! You are doing so much good in this world, and I appreciate your efforts.
Thank you blogger! We just need to do what our Leader tells us, "keep proper ward over mortal mind, then the brood of evils which infest it would be cleared out." Not an easy chore but most effective when right endeavor is applied.
Good work you are doing, sir or madam. What you have expressed in this posting speaks to me, and I would imagine with just about every individual who reads your blog.
I thank you.
Spot on! You've described my situation in your inimitable style.
You write so well, and I always get something substantive from your website. Do you want to know what jumped out at me in this one? That mortal mind wants you dead. This is attention-grabbing for sure. This is true of us all, is it not? But the Truth gives us what we need to prevail.
Thanks much,
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