December
3, 2006
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Martin Luther King, Jr., in being asked to publish some of his
sermons, wrote in the preface to his book, ". . .
a sermon is directed toward the listening ear rather than
the reading eye. . . I offer these discourses in the hope
that a message may come to life for readers of the printed
words." This is my hope for you, dear reader.
--Rev. Linda
December 3, 2006
PEACE ON EARTH:
Peace in Diversity
I am so excited to be starting this new series this month
of Peace on Earth.
Your EMC (Ecclesiastical Manifestation Core) has really
been working hard to put together all the creative ideas
that came forth in our last meeting, and I think we have
some fabulous Celebration Services prepared for you this
month, as we touch the richness of the Winter Solstice,
Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa traditions, all focusing
on Peace on Earth.
And we begin this morning, appropriately, with Peace
in Diversity. Dr. Ernest Holmes founded the Science of
Mind on the Universal Principles which he studied and
synthesized from all the major world religions, from the
greatest writers and deepest thinkers of all times, and
from the most informed people of his day in the fields
of religion, philosophy and science to find the threads
of truth coming through each tradition. And then he came
up with a system to use those principles to make our lives
work better, which ultimately makes the world work better,
more peacefully.
And this is why Religious Science or Science of Mind
is considered be to transdenominational. We really are
beyond denomination. Ernest Holmes said, as Sue read to
you earlier, “The Science of Mind is not a special
revelation of any individual; it is, rather, the culmination
of all revelations. We take the good wherever we find
it, making it our own in so far as we understand it.”
So diversity is an integral part of the Science of Mind.
We not only honor all religions, but we study them and
integrate their truths as we come to embody them. We are
diverse families, religions, races, walks of life coming
together in unity. And that’s why I can tell you
this joke.
Three guys met in hell one day, and after some discussion
it seemed like they were all pretty nice guys. One was
a Catholic, one was a Jew, and one was a Christian Scientist.
So the question came up of why they had been sent to hell.
The Catholic admitted, “Well, I ate fish on Friday.”
The Jew revealed, “I ate pork.”
But the Christian Scientist said, “I’m not
here.”
We laugh at this joke because we can appreciate the silliness
of it, but my good friend and student Tom Acousti brought
to my attention a while ago that all, or at least most,
jokes have a victim. In this case, it’s the religious
beliefs of those 3 particular faiths. So in all fairness
I think we should have a joke about Science of Minders,
don’t you?
So here goes. A Religious Scientist, Science of Minder,
died and came to a crossroads in the sky with 3 signs.
One pointed to hell this way, one pointed to heaven that
way, and one pointed to discussions about heaven over
there. The Science of Minder immediately headed for the
discussion.
Now, those of us who know that Ernest Holmes was really
adamant about the Science of Mind not being just an intellectual
pursuit, but that we must live the principles and demonstrate
them to have any real knowledge of them, could get a little
miffed at hearing this joke. But we have to be able to
laugh at ourselves as well as others, right?
And we have to be aware, too, of how we can be perceived
by others.
One of the hardest subjects for me to try to explain
to someone who doesn’t understand the principles
we teach and live by is when I’m asked, “What
can I do to bring peace into the world?” Because
it becomes very obvious to me when I give my response,
that it’s not what the person wants to hear. They
want to know what action they can take, what they can
do to make it better over there somewhere. But what I
tell them is to clean up all the places in their own life
where peace is lacking and the rest will be revealed.
And almost always, they’ll turn and walk away. It’s
not what they want to hear. See, we always think it’s
easier to take the mote out of our brother’s eye
than it is to take the splinter out of our own. It’s
much easier to go out on a peace march with signs than
it is to make peace with our neighbor or our partner or
other family member. Not that there’s anything wrong
with peace marches, of course.
Prayer is a path to peace. So let’s begin this amazing
series on peace by reading responsively from the Peace
Prayers booklet you have, the Jewish Prayer for Peace.
Sue will lead the congregation portion.
*Come, let us go up to the mountain of
the Lord,
that we may walk the paths of the Most High.
*And we shall beat our swords into ploughshares,
and our spears into pruning hooks.
*Nation shall not lft up sword against nation—
neither shall they learn war any more.
*And none shall be afraid,
for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts has spoken.
Ernest Holmes said, “ We must think peace if we
wish to express peace. The mind that is always confused
and distraught is not at peace; the mind that is continuously
upset and agitated by the little, petty things of life
is not at peace; it is at war with itself. It is only
when the individual mind ceases combating itself that
it will stop combating others.” (Observations, p.
47.3)
The Native American Prayer for Peace states it so beautifully.
Let’s read that one now responsively.
*O Great Spirit of our Ancestors, I raise
my pipe to you.
To your messengers the four winds,
and to Mother Earth who provides for your children.
*Give us the wisdom to teach our children to love,
to respect, and to be kind to each other
*so that they may grow with peace in mind.
Let us learn to share all good things that you provide
for us on this Earth.
This is the peace we seek. Peace Pilgrim wrote, “One
day as I was answering my mail a woman said to me, ‘What
can people do for peace?’ I replied, ‘Let’s
see what these letters say.’ The first one said,
‘I’m a farm housewife. Since talking with you,
I’ve realized I should be doing something for peace—especially
since I’m raising four sons. Now I am writing one
letter every day to someone in our government or in the
United Nations who has done something for peace, commending
them to give them moral support.’ The next one said,
‘World peace seemed a bit too big for me, but since
talking with you, I have joined the Human Relations council
in my town, and I’m working on peace among groups.’
The third one said, ‘Since talking with you I have
resolved an unpeaceful situation between myself and my
sister-in-law.’ The last one said, ‘Since talking
with you, I have cut out smoking.’ When you do something
for world peace, peace among groups, peace among individuals,
or your own inner peace, you improve the total peace picture.
Whenever you bring harmony into any unpeaceful situation,
you contribute to the cause of peace.” (Steps Toward
Inner Peace, p. 25)
What a beautiful example of peace Peace Pilgrim was.
Each one of you here this morning is bringing peace to
the world by committing to the continuation of The Maine
Beacon by just being here each week, just filling a seat.
It adds to the energy, not just times one more person,
but exponentially. You are improving the total peace picture
as you raise the consciousness level of all humanity by
raising your own.
The Sikh Prayer for Peace tells us clearly how to win
the victory. Let’s read it responsively together.
*God adjudges us according to our deeds,
not the coat that we wear:
*that Truth is above everything,
but higher still is truthful living.
*Know that we attaineth God when we loveth,
and only that victory endures
in consequences of which no one is defeated.
The only treasure to be got, the only victory to be won,
is peace. Tom sang it so beautifully. Martin Luther King,
Jr. said, “One day we must come to see that peace
is not merely a distant goal we seek, but that it is a
means by which we arrive at that goal. We must pursue
peaceful ends through peaceful means.” There really
is no battle to fight, only a dream to wake up from, a
dream that tries to hide our divinity. We must love one
another. This is the Christian Prayer for Peace.
*Blessed are the PEACEMAKERS,
*for they shall be known as the Children of God.
But I say to you that hear, love your enemies,
*do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you,
*pray for those who abuse you.
To those who strike you on the cheek, offer the other
also,
*and from those who take away your cloak,
*do not withhold your coat as well.
Give to everyone who begs from you,
*and of those who take away your goods, do not ask them
again.
(All) *And as you wish that others would do to you, do
so to them.
This was Peace Pilgrim’s message as well, “This
is the way of peace: Overcome evil with good, falsehood
with truth, and hatred with love.” And she says,
“There is nothing new about this message, except
the practice of it. And the practice of it is required
not only in the international situation but also in the
personal situation.” (p. 4)
So how can we practice peace in diversity? Who here has
come from some other religious path—not raised as
a Religious Scientist or Science of Minder? And how do
you feel about the religion you were raised in or came
from? Are you suffering from religious allergies? Here’s
a place to start. Can you see the good that you took from
it? I’ve personally been a Pentecost, a Baptist,
a Mormon, a Christian Scientist, a Unitarian-Universalist,
an atheist, and an agnostic in the past, and I can tell
you something good I got from every one of those paths.
That’s just one way to honor diversity and find peace.
Ernest Holmes said, “Behind all is a unity, through
all is a diversity; saturating all is a divinity.”
(What Religious Science Teaches, p. 15.4) Let’s read
his now A Prayer for World Peace.
I know there is but One Mind, which is the mind of God,
in which all people live and move and have their being.
I know there is a divine pattern for humanity and within
this pattern there is infinite harmony and peace, cooperation,
unity and mutual helpfulness.
I know that the mind of humankind, being one with the
mind of God, shall discover the method, the way and the
means best fitted to permit the flow of divine love between
individuals and nations.
Thus harmony, peace, cooperation, unity and mutual helpfulness
will be experienced by all.
I know there shall be a free interchange of ideas, of
cultures, of spiritual concepts, of ethics, of educational
systems and scientific discoveries—for all good belongs
to all alike.
I know that, because Divine Mind has created us all,
we are bound together in one infinite and perfect unity.
In bringing about world peace, I know that all people
and all nations will remain individual but unified for
the common purpose of promoting peace, happiness, harmony
and prosperity.
I know that deep within every person the divine pattern
of perfect peace is already implanted.
I now declare that in each person and in leaders of thought
everywhere this divine pattern moves into action and form,
to the end that all nations and all people shall live
together in peace, harmony, and prosperity forever.
So it is now.
For this month of Peace on Earth, Sue Goldsmith is graciously
sharing with us her Peace Chant. And as we now move into
a time of stillness and quiet, I’ve asked Sue to
lead us in this beautiful chant. The words are on the
easel here, but you really won’t need to read them.
They’re very simple.
Peace in my mind,
Peace in my heart,
Peace in the world,
Begins inside of me.
