Day 93: Reflecting

178:28-180:24

Yesterday, I mentioned group thought. At church yesterday, we had a guest soloist. He gets up to join in the first hymn and I'm missing the other soloist, then he starts to sing. I think the entire church collectively, as a group, was overjoyed. Then when he sang his solo, it was as if the finest Tenor on the planet was in the church. The room was filled with group appreciation for this man's voice. I've never heard anyone sing like that except on a professionally produced music cd.

Today's two pages discuss how to approach the patient mentally. I noted this:

Whoever reaches the understanding of Christian Science in its proper signification will perform the sudden cures of which it is capable; but this can be done only by taking up the cross and following Christ in the daily life.

I need to add more love and less rules to my daily life. I already knew this but it's nice to be reminded.

Then:

Immortal Mind heals what eye hath not seen; but the spiritual capacity to apprehend thought and to heal by the Truth-power, is won only as man is found, not in self-righteousness, but reflecting the divine nature.

 I'll work on reflecting the divine nature of Love today. How about you? What do you want to reflect today?

Day 92: Group Think

176:21-178:27

Today's section is something that has been on my mind lately: group thought. In these two pages, Mary Baker Eddy discusses how group thought gives medication it's power.

Consequently, the result is controlled by the majority of opinions, not by the infinitesimal minority of opinions in the sick-chamber.

My relationship to God is my own and for the most part is entirely in my thought. So why is this one-to-one relationship so heavily affected by other people? Or why can't I stand on an island by myself and live? I know from reading the chapter on Marriage, which I titled "Happiness in Relationships" that I'm supposed to connect with people. How do I connect but guard my thought against what I don't want from those in the group? It's a literal question, not rhetorical.

Day 81: Faith in Drugs

153:25 - 156:4

The pages are about the majority faith in drugs for curative properties. The idea the a collective thought among people having power is...I don't know what the word it, startling isn't right. For the most part, I work through issues in C.S. on one track of thought, perhaps not a deep track, but a dependable line. Then I read something and think, I'm missing something. I can see there is more but how do I get to it. I had that again today.

The first line I noticed is:

Neither sympathy nor society should ever tempt us to cherish error in any form, and certainly we should not be error's advocate.

Most of my everyday friends are not C.S. and do talk about their sickness, and pain as if it is normal. I battle with myself as to how to handle this. I think it is uncaring to avoid the conversation altogether, nor do I want to disrespect their own beliefs but what do I say? My non-C.S. parents-in-law have come to the point in their life where their bodily well-being is the conversation of the day. This is beyond annoying, even from a non-C.S. perspective. I just want to get up and leave the room but I'm not the most chatty person anyway so I come off as distant regardless of the topic. Then to add this slant to the conversation -- I appear uncaring. That isn't the case but I just think their train of thought is off.I don't think another trip to the doctor or another prescription is the answer. How do I respect my own beliefs and not offend theirs?

The next thing I noted was:

percentage of power on the side of this Science must mightily outweigh the power of popular belief in order to heal a single case of disease 

The idea of 'percentage of power' caught my attention as well as the idea it is required for a single case. Collective thought, percentage of power...this sounds like a all out battle of good versus evil. No that's not right. Mortal mind versus Mind is more like it. And the idea that me, the individual is part of the collective and contributes and has power, not just for my own spiritual purpose but for someone else's single case of disease. I feel inspired and accountable for that nameless, faceless other person, or people -- humanity as a whole.

By the way, any questions you find in this blog are not rhetorical. If you have an idea from a C.S. perspective, please share.