Reading & Meditation Good
by Rev. Christine 7/4/2021
Today I’m sharing from Studies in Divine Science by Daisy M. Baum, originally printed in 1909. From the chapter Non-Resistance.
“The master’s doctrine, ‘That ye resist not evil.’ What, then, is this “evil” that we are not to resist? It is simply a shadow, an unreality, a bit of man’s ignorance of his own divinity, a false conception, a lack of consciousness of the truth. And what is meant by resisting? It implies opposition, strive, combat with an adversary, in an endeavor to defeat. How, then, could we possibly reconcile a proposal to resist evil? Would it avail anything to fight a shadow, to oppose ignorance, to engage in combat with unreality, to try to defeat something which is not? Would a teacher help a child’s ignorance by resisting its lack of knowledge? Surely not; condemnation of ignorance never brought forth the light of knowledge. All students of Truth have learned by this time that disease is only a shadow which is never healed by claiming its reality and then resisting it. Sin, likewise, is but a lack of knowledge of the All-Good, and is not overcome through opposition and striving.
Now, just as hate engenders hate and anger brings anger in return, so resistance begets resistance. Thus all belief of wrong, whether we call it sin, disease, hate, or whatever else, returns again to him who sends it. If one argues that because he wishes to be rid of certain inharmony he will, therefore, resist it, he is attacking the matter in the wrong way. Whatever is resisted is probably feared, and fear always fights back.
But this view of non-resistance is not to be construed as meaning that one should do nothing or take no action whatever toward overcoming inharmony. This is a strong conception of non-resistance. Jesus recognized the evil, the wrong, the ignorance in the world, and taught that we were to overcome it, but not by resistance as though these inharmonies were real. We are to learn that overcoming consists in a realization of the nature of the shadows and a consciousness of the truth of the Light.
Evil in all its forms is negative and but a shadow. Good is positive, and the recognition and realization of Love and Goodness as the reality back of every appearance dissolves the negation. Good is the logical means of overcoming evil, because it is its direct opposite.”
Meditation Good
We shall now go into meditation; get comfortable, close your eyes, relax, and begin with some good deep breathing and fully emptying out...
Omnipresence, all-inclusive, all-pervading, all-sustaining Life, and we call this God. We see this presence as Cause, Source; its nature is eternal, self-sustaining, invisible, boundless, unlimited, pure love and is all good. I am a living expression of God; made in its image and likeness. Therefore my true self is pure love and goodness in expression.
I am reveling in a life of pure love and goodness. (Repeat)
God is Good! As this Presence of goodness abounds through all of creation - intelligence, wholeness, joy and peace are manifested in all forms of life. Pure Divine Spirit Substance of goodness in all of creation both visible and invisible. All that is invisible to the eye; atoms, protons, light, all this sustaining of life is good. Therefore all that is visible is also good; our cells, bones, muscles, organs, and blood - all good. This goodness is eternally alive everywhere and beyond. Let us take a minute in silence.
Let us bring our attention back to our breath, giving thanks for these moments in silence, in oneness. Amen.