The Trouble with Hate

Dr. Kenn Gordon wrote a great message today about peace and unrest. He said, "It is not what we hate that is the issue, the issue is that we hate at all."

That brings to mind, my favorite quote from The Science of Mind by Ernest Holmes:

My Identity: Who Am I?

And it is a law that the man who sees what he wants to see, regardless of what appears, will someday experience in the outer what he has so faithfully seen in the within.  From selfish reasons alone, if from no loftier reason, we cannot afford to find fault, to hate, or even to hold in mind anything against any living soul! The God of love cannot hear the prayer of the one who fails to love."

I remember before I had taken any Science of Mind or personal development courses, I used to routinely make statements about things I hated-- the weather, those people, shoveling snow, scraping the ice off my windshield, bigots, and any other condition or belief which I had judged as inferior or bad or unlovely. 

The truth that I came to know is that the Divine Mind is everywhere present and is always responsive to what is impressed upon it. I started re-framing my statements. I had a great coach who would remind me that we didn't hate anything!  I started saying (and eventually believing) that I would prefer gentle weather or that all weather is good. I would start seeing people as doing the best that they could and eventually to see their loveliness and uniqueness as individualized expressions of the Divine.

What I didn't know at the beginning of my studies are the benefits I was withholding from myself by thinking such thoughts as "hate" about anything. The "God of love" could not answer my prayers for greater good because It needs to correspond to the person praying. God is the antithesis of hate. It could not give of Itself because I had not renewed my mind.

In Romans 12:2, the apostle Paul wrote,

"And be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is good and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

When I  renew my mind, I simply remind myself of the nature of God. I remind myself that this limitless, eternal love created me and everyone else in ITS likeness so that God's beauty, peace, and truth could be manifest.

You are Unique Now

"Since no two persons are alike there must be a unique place for you in the scheme of things. The Divine Pattern would be imperfect without you. Dare to be yourself. Stand in wonder before the majesty and might, the beauty and power of that Divine Presence which seeks expression through your individual life. Accept all the good there is. Whatever things you desire, believe you have them. Say:

I surrender all fear, all doubt.

I let go of uncertainty.

I know there is no confusion, no lack of confidence.

I know that what is mine will claim me, know me, rush to me.

          I accept the gift of Life for myself and for everyone else." 

Ernest Holmes, This Thing called You

I always liked the idea that no two snowflakes are identical. As a child growing up with a great deal of prairie snow, that idea captured my imagination. If that is true of a snowflake, think about the amazing being that you are. In the entire universe there never has been nor never will be, another identical to you.

We know that fingerprints are used to identify people. No two fingerprints are identical either. Our fingerprint can identify us, but what does it say about us. When I was attending a Ministers' Retreat a couple of years ago, there was a huge piece of art on a mirror of a fingerprint. The catch was instead of lines there were word descriptors forming the lines. The piece had words like:

fair

caring

human

dynamic

driven

daring

As great as your uniqueness is, greater by far, are the infinite possibilities that lay within you. You are the creator of your experience. You choose how to perceive situations. (You also choose which situations, people, and ideas to be part of your life. There are infinite choices. You get to choose what words describe you.

Are you willing to be who you came here to be?
Now is the time. The entire Universe is waiting for you to come home to yourself.

Do You Have the Power to Stop God?

Have you ever denied your identity? When I watch one of my favorite musicals, Les Miserables, I am always moved by the goodness of the protagonist, Jean Val Jean. He was a man who was cruelly and brutally incarcerated for stealing a loaf of bread. Released from prison after nineteen years of unjust punishment, he was bitter and angry. He was shunned by everyone he met except for a kindly man of God.

 "Bishop Welcome" as he was known by the people in his area, not only treated Jean Val Jean with kindness,giving him food, clothing and a place to sleep. The Bishop told him he was in God's house and was welcome, treating the former prisoner with respect and brotherly love. Val Jean still hardened from his treatment in jail, stole several expensive pieces of silver from the Bishop. When the gendarmes caught him and took him back to the Bishop, the Bishop told them that the pieces were a gift from him and insisted that he take even more.

 This generous action transformed Jean Val Jean. He made a new life for himself. He was a just and fair man who was still being hunted by Inspector Javert for changing his identity. The clip shows Jean Val Jean's inner struggle when another man was mistaken for Val Jean. He comes to the conclusion, that he must do the right thing, even if it means going back to prison. 

One of the greatest pieces of advice ever given, is found is the play Hamlet, when Polonius is talking to his young son.He advises, "To thine own self be true." What great advice especially if we know who we really are. 

Many years ago, when I was starting out on my spiritual path, I attended a spiritual personal development course, called On Course. During the course, the facilitators, Michael and Paulette Sun, helped people realize their inherent goodness, their infinite possibilities, their God nature. Filled with compassion, I was flooded with tears with each person's awakening. 

Then Michael came to me and asked quietly, "You really see the goodness, truth and beauty in all of these people don't you Heather?" I nodded. 

He went on, "You see that each one is a powerful God being filled with God qualities.?"Again I agreed. 

Then he said, "But you don't really feel that you are worthy, lovable and capable, do you?" I agreed again. 

Then he said, "Do you know how arrogant that is?" I was dumfounded! Tender-hearted me, being accused of being arrogant!I looked at him speechlessly. I had no idea what he meant. 

He went on, "You believe that you are the one human being, on the entire planet, who is separate from God! You are strong enough to stop the Creator of the Universe from doing what It does! You stop it from being God in you!" 

 Something in me, heard him with new ears. I got it. My shoulders dropped. I felt filled with Peace. I was transformed. His honesty and perception gave me a gift greater than silver candlesticks; he gave me  a glimpse at my true identity.

Who am I? I am Heather Dawn Clark, made in the image of Truth, Beauty and Good. Who do you think you are?

Namaste