Fires on the west coast

August 24, 2015 | 48 comments

Dozens of fires are raging out of control in the Pacific Northwest where I live. A multitude of homes have been burned. Hundreds are threatened. Thousands of firefighters from all over the country are fighting the wild blazes with all their might and wisdom. The pictures of devastation and leaping walls of fire racing through forests displayed on the television each evening are disheartening and frightening to many. Similar scenes and pictures are pouring out of California and neighboring states.

Everyone’s prayer is needed.

In my own prayers, I remember that we live in a state of thought. The whole world is a state of thought. The West Coast is a state of thought, and every physical effect we see is the outcome of an underlying activity in supposed mortal consciousness. If there is destruction and harm, a mental correction can be made that neutralizes the evil and restores peace and order.

Jesus demonstrated this when he stilled the storm threatening to capsize his boat with the disciples. He uttered a simple command of, “Peace, be still” (Mark 4:39). And the stormed stopped.

There is a “Peace, be still,” command we all can collectively pray to put out these fires.

The destructive fires symbolize to me the angry and violent desires of the carnal mind to wipe out whatever good it can consume in its path. We can check this anger with our prayers to see more clearly the omnipresence of Love that precludes mindless destruction and envelopes all these communities and people in care and provision that keeps them from being displaced and threatened.

The Mind of Love is intelligent and able to govern the Pacific Northwest, California, and any other state and its inhabitants and to keep them safe from harm. It can shower down God’s blessings that protect the firefighters, still the fires, quiet the troubled soul, quench fear and restore peace and harmony for everyone’s benefit.

What man cannot do through material ways and means, God can accomplish through spiritual might and power. Help can come from the most unexpected places and in the most unexpected ways.

“Peace, be still.” Will you please join me and my neighbors in this prayer? There is no better time than now to realize the blessing of this divine promise.

48 thoughts on “Fires on the west coast”

  1. If we could always remember not to be taken by appearances and declare faithfully “Peace, be still” we could contribute a lot into making a better world the world we live in.

    thank you Evan

  2. I shall also join you with my whole heart in your prayers… The “angry and violent desires of the carnal mind to wipe out whatever good it can consume in its path”, as you mention it in your post, are so visible all over the world, taking different forms. It is well to remember that “the whole world is a state of thought” and that the divine Mind can and will overcome the carnal mind.
    My prayers are with you.
    Love from Switzerland

  3. I was reminded of hymn 276 “Peace be to this congregation”…..the hymn continues…..”Peace,that floweth as a river From th’ eternal source alone”. MBE defines”River” as “Channel of thought. When smooth and unobstructed, it typifies the course of Truth”. So glad we can know that Fire…”fear..hatred…..destruction”….cannot obstruct the course of Truth. If God be for us….who (or what) can be against us.

  4. “No mortal mind has the might, right or wisdom to create or to destroy. All is under the control of the one Mind, even God” (544:16)

    I will be praying for this situation.

    Patricia from California

  5. You bet I’ll help.

    I had to learn this lesson several years ago when a raging wildfire was bearing down on our mountain cabin. One thing I found worked in my case was looking into the flames until I could see the face of God. By that I mean, I had to match the intensity of my prayers with the intensity of the flames. I really got the statement from SH “omnipotence has all power and to acknowledge ANY other power is to dishonor God”. Some incredible results came out of that praying and the prayers of many others. Even though everything was consumed within 50 yards of the cabin it remained untouched and even beginning spot fires a few steps away failed to take hold and burn. There were many other fine results blessing the entire community.

    I know for a fact prayer works in these situations.

    Thanks for the alert Evan.
    Much love from Montana to Washington!
    Been there with you.

  6. Certainly Evan we are with you to support your prayer. Everything Is under the control of the one Mind even God. God is bigger then any seemingly scary picture. Everlasting arms of love envelopes all of you and peace reigns supreme in the Universe. You all dwell in the atmosphere of love divine, embraced in His love, safe in His care. “PEACE BE STILL.” is a divine command and it does work.
    Hold the hand of Christ, keep your focus on Christ and you will be safe just as Peter kept His focus on Christ and walked on the waters athough the sea was violent.

  7. Yes, I will join with you–as I wake up now at 5:30 a .m. here in Central Oregon USA., thinking of other places and one friend in particular up in small lake town of Conconully WA where fires threaten the peaceful beauty. What comes to me that’s is a line in a prayer my grandma taught me “. . . Let Mind direct and love protect…[their] steps today.”

  8. Certainly I’ll pray to see the absolute loving control of Mind governing these situations. The law of Love is supreme.

  9. Nothing is impossible to God, and God’s law of good prevails and overcomes. Thinking of the Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace and John in the boiling oil……..they overcame fierce and heated anger through thought elevated to their eternal oneness and peace with God. Victory over matter’s seeming rage took place. God’s omnipresence and our prayers are a blanket of Love that can snuff out the belief of out-of-control rage anywhere and everywhere – in nature, in bodies, in homes, in relationships and in financial markets! Blessings to all.

  10. Thank you, Evan, for all your healing work for Church – which includes all – and for this call for prayer. I humbly join and am inspired by the spiritual fact of peace and stillness to any seeming storm as found in the healings of our Master, Christ Jesus, by Elijah in 1Kings 19:12, by the Psalmist in Ps 46:10, and in the writings of MBE (S&H 559:8) and the many proofs in CS. All our prayers will be felt, will bless, and be blessed with “showers of blessings” as promised in Ez 34:26.

  11. Ok. It came to me to research “fuel” and “wind”, the things that seem to perpetuate fire.

    FUEL: Any matter used to produce heat by burning; that which feeds fire; combustible matter. . . Anything that serves to feed or increase passion or excitement.–WEBSTER

    The truth of the Scientific Statement of Being (p. 468 Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy) removes the fuel:

    “There is no life, truth, intelligence, nor substance in matter. All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation, for God is All-in-all.”

    The true sense of wind brings life to light, the light of understanding glows brighter obliterating all belief in and all evidence of destruction or danger,
    “WIND. That which indicates the might of omnipotence and the movements of God’s spiritual government, encompassing all things.” (S&H p. 597)

    MBE writes: “Envy, rivalry, hate need no temporary indulgence that they be destroyed through suffering; they should be stifled from lack of air and freedom.” (’02 p. 14)

    Obviously, we can also stifle “anything that serves to feed or increase passion or excitement” — fear, shock at mortal images, distrust in God’s Love, allness, all-power, all-presence. The passage continues: “Man must love his neighbor as himself, and the power of Truth must be seen and felt in health, happiness, and holiness: then it will be found that Mind is All-in-all, and there is no matter to cope with.”

    No fuel.

    She also writes: “Spiritual love makes man conscious that God is his Father, and the consciousness of God as Love gives man power with untold furtherance. Then God becomes to him the All-presence — quenching sin;. . . .” (’02: p. 9)

    ALL-PRESENCE does the quenching. Flood-tides of Love, showers of blessings, the cleansing, nourishing, waters of ever-present, never absent, Life, which man is at one with, never absent from.

    Every single individual in the area is at one with the living waters of Love, with all the water ever needed. “As a drop of water is one with the ocean . . ., even so God and man, Father and son, are one in being. The Scripture reads: “For in Him we live, and move, and have our being.”” (S&H p. 361) We’re at one with an ocean of Love, Spirit, intelligence, joy!

    As a benediction, hymn 119 by Paul Gerhardt, John Christian Jacobi, Translator. :

    Holy Spirit, source of gladness,
    Come with all Thy radiance bright;
    Lift all burdens and all sadness;
    O’er Thy children shed Thy light.

    Let the Love that knows no measure,
    Now in quickening showers descend;
    Bring to us the richest treasure
    Man can wish or God can send.

    Send us Thine illumination;
    Banish all our fears at length;
    Rest upon this congregation [all dear people in this region],
    Spirit of unfailing strength.

  12. Yes, I have been praying too for this fire situation. Turning things to thought allows us to reverse the fear, destruction, and selfish tendencies represented by wildfires with the raindrops of divinity that refresh the earth. “What if the little rain should say, “So small a drop as I can never refresh the drooping earth, I’ll tarry in the sky.” Each one of our little prayers, together, are a cloudburst of refreshment poured on the hurts and angers of mortal selfishness with unselfed love, appreciation for the good and beautiful, and the meekness of moral courage. Thank you all for your raindrops of love.

  13. I will join you in knowing and praying that this our of control wild fire situation will be brought to a divine solution where every community threatened and everyone concerned will be protected with the right outcome for their needs under the divine principle of Truth, Life and Love.

  14. God will arrest the error, Divine Love will douse with dews of quietness the fires and flames with peace be still,…….AMEN.

  15. There is a wonderful article in the August 18, 2008 Sentinel by Margaret Rogers called A great Calm _ Can Nature Be Born Again that I find very helpful. I would be happy to pray about this.

  16. Yes to the power of righteous prayer. Fire is the subject of this week’s Wednesday sermon here. Let me attest that your assertion of “peace be still” carries with it the spiritual power to calm and prevent undesired damage from forest fires. They do serve a good purpose but we can at the same time claim God’s power of protection for ourselves and our neighbors and what rightfully belongs to us. I had a summer cottage in an interior forest settlement of 100 homes in the direct center of a 400,00 acre fire which swept through that area a few years ago. This fire was a 50 foot high wall of fire which destroyed everything in its path wherever it went. Through the power of prayer the entire settlement was protected and the fire swept around the settlement licking at the boundary but not through it.

  17. God guides, governs, directs, loves, guards, controls, nourishes, quenches, supports, creates, protects, determines, etc…all His ideas. What cannot God do? It is done! Love to all!!!

  18. Thank you Evan. It has always given me pause that Jesus was “asleep on a pillow” during the “great storm” that seemed so destructive to the disciples. Could it be that there was no “great storm” in Jesus experience and that only the disciples were experiencing that storm?

    Jesus saying “Peace, be still” is also interesting. This is translated “Hush now! Be still!” in the J.B.Phillips translation and “Quiet! Be still!” in the New International Version. It wouldn’t really make sense to say “Hush now!” or “Quiet!” to a storm. But isn’t that what one might say to a “suggestion” of a storm that would come to our thinking?

    At first I struggled with how best to pray as you requested. At first I was tempted to acknowledged the existence of destructive fire and then pray “to put the fire out”. But then I decided that type of prayer may just make the destructive fire MORE of a reality. In thinking again about the Mark 4 story, I decided it would be better for me to view the destructive fire as a mere suggestion (i.e. not a reality) and as you said in your blog, “to see more clearly the omnipresence of Love that precludes mindless destruction”. So I will be praying to know that God, Love, never created a destructive force that needs to be neutralized. And after doing that, if the suggestion comes to me to again make a reality of these destructive fires, I will say “Hush now! Quiet! Be Still!” while also knowing that a suggestion like that is not from God and therefore not true.

    Thank you to everyone for the wonderful comments! I’m going to read this Blog and the comments again later today there is so much daily bread here.

  19. All of your replies are so beautiful and reading them is like being covered in a RIVER OF LOVE!!! And that is just what will stop all of the flames of thought…A RIVER OF GODS PERFECT LOVE.
    What a blessing this blog is and everyone of you…
    Thank you from Carmel Ca and praying with you all.
    Kate

  20. God is not found in turbulence and destruction but in deep, prayerful stillness within us.
    Elijah was able to hear God’s direction in the “still, small voice” and the threats dissipated!!!

    Go forth and stand upon the mount
    For Truth is at thy side
    The very rocks may seem to break
    And earth to open wide
    Yet error’s tempest and its fire
    Before that still small voice retire. Hymn 74

    Joining all your friends in their prayers for you, Evan, with much love.

  21. Thank you everyone for your inspiration and thoughts. What a flood of encouraging ideas you are sending our way! I certainly can feel their good effect, and I’m sure everyone else affected can too, even if they don’t realize where the boost is coming from. You are helping us to feel God’s showers of love, and what God gives us spiritually takes care of us humanly.

    It also occurred to me that rainclouds bursting at the seams with water to rain can appear seemingly out of nowhere. The “sky” is really divine Mind, and God’s rainclouds are entities in divine Mind. Mind is everywhere, so rainclouds are wherever Mind is. And if its appropriate for clouds to be raining, then they are present where they are needed and ready to do what they are designed to do. We don’t have to wait for material weather conditions to change before God’s rainclouds can appear and refresh the earth with their water. In Mind, they are always present where needed.

  22. Saturday evening smoke from the fires settled into our valley in the Okanagan. Sunday the smoke was so thick that very few went outside and visibility was limited. When I came home from church I looked up everything Mrs. Eddy has written about “smoke.” In each case, she couples smoke with conflict and battle. She says, “…I take my pen and pruning-hook, to ‘learn war no more,’ and with strong wing to lift my readers above the smoke of conflict into light and liberty.” (Misc.xii) Isn’t that what we are all doing in our prayers today and always, lifting thought into light and liberty not only for ourselves but for the world. I spent last night for several hours lifting my thought above the suggestion of friction, conflict, battle to feel the stillness, harmony and ever-presence of God, Love. This morning the sun is shining and most of the smoke has lifted and dispersed from our valley, and I am sure for all. I know light and liberty dwell within each in the Pacific Northwest and wherever conflict appears, lifting thought above the battle to experience peace. Thanks to all for sharing.

  23. Thank you Evan for this wonderful blog, Yes, I will take up your call for prayer. I wasn’t sure where to start, so I read the replies. So many inspirational thoughts coming back from those loving followers. We, too, in Canada are facing many wildfires and some with devastating effect. It’s easy to just read the news and commiserate, but then isn’t that mortal mind trying to dull the senses into believing that it’s a natural phenomenon? Yes, let’s swing into action by delving deeper to understand that God Is All, and there cannot be any destructive forces waiting to pounce on humanity. The agressive animal thought has no power as long as we stay “porter at the door of thought”. God, Love, is truly the powerful antidote.

  24. Thanks Evan for your insight. Like many who live in the Northwest, I too am praying to recognize God’s infinite power and protection to destroy the fear of the fires.

    A few days ago I was inspired by the 23rd Psalm as a basis to destroy the false claim of mortal mind regarding death and destruction.

    “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”

    When I see all the news about fires and the fear that it causes, I can’t help but think how important it is to recognize God’s infinite presence with us, the homeowners, and especially the fire fighters! Aren’t they walking through the “valley of the shadow of death?”

    Is there anyone you would choose over God to walk along with you? His ever present love and protection is with us all, right now!

  25. Thank you so much for this post and the ideas you shared to pray about the fires. And for all the helpful comments. Whenever the idea of things being out of control is presented in my experience this citation from Science and Health is always a calming, healing thought. “Mind’s (God’s) control over the universe, including man, is no longer an open question, but is demonstrable Science.” and also “The term Science, properly understood, refers only to the laws of God and to His government of the universe, inclusive of man.” (S&H page 171 & 128)
    While looking up these citations in the concordance, I found so many more healing ideas in regard to God’s complete control!

  26. Rain and snow are one way.
    In our case the wind from an incoming weather system that threatened to take the whole valley kept changing directions over and over blowing the fire back on itself so it quit enlarging and consumed only available fuel within the already burned borders. All 75 properties in the fire zone were spared. It was considered “miraculous”. So…it doesn’t necessarily have to be rain.

    Also, mega-fires are a wrong sense for sure. Mortal mind on a big rampage. But, often people forget fire in general is actually good for a forest. If anyone doubts it they need to go visit Yellowstone Park. We went and watched every weekend in 1988 as fire decimated the landscape. Something like 60% or more of the park burned. We thought it was a catastrophe at the time. But, if you go now the forest is healthier than it has been in decades, beautiful and restored to better than ever.
    Normal fire is actually good. It cleans out the forest, creates certain habitats and generally rejuvenates.

    These fires kind of remind me of Hurricane Katrina. The more people reported it on it, got afraid of it and blew it up in thought the bigger the storm grew. You could almost watch it happen on the Weather Channel. I’ve kind of wondered if some of the same phenomena has happened with these fire complexes. I know it happened at Yellowstone. The more press it got the more out of control it grew.

    Just some thoughts.
    🙂

  27. What a blessing and comfort this blog is and all of the comments. I will read them again as I pray for the fire currently burning in Big Bear Lake, California. Although my home is not presently threatened, that doesn’t lessen my desire to pray for those in harm’s way. Knowing that God is supreme and omnipresent and that all of the dire predictions (such as the thunderstorms for the next few days that can cause more wild fires) are nothing more than false suggestions. They have no power in the kingdom of heaven where we all live. I pray peace be still to every false claim and trust in God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. Thanks to all for your prayerful support!

  28. Abide in the shadow of Love where human hatred, fear, and terror can’t reach, where no firestorm can survive, where all of God’s creation thrives: “And we solemnly promise to watch, and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus; to do unto others as we would have them do unto us; and to be merciful, just, and pure.”

    Shakespeare also comes to mind:

    The quality of mercy is not strained;
    It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
    Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest;
    It blesseth him that gives and him that takes (Merchant of Venice)

    Prayerfully thinking of you all.

  29. Hi Evan,

    I prayed for all Pacific Northeast and California.
    We all live, move and have our being in infinite God, so we are always protected from any harm. God’s love is active and being expressed in infinite supply, wisdom that comes from all directions, so everyone is safe ! We’re spiritual, immortal so nothing can destroy us.
    Much love and pouring rain from Sao Paulo, Brazil !

  30. Thoughts are externalize in material symbolizin. The evil thinking in this country and else ware are the very core for these horrendous fires. As we clean our thinking and manifest God thinking, all these inharhominies shall end. Hate = Fire. Let’s stop hating. It’s interesting that whites hate the blacks but the majority of blacks forgive and love the whites. It was the whites who went over to Africa and captured the blacks into slavery so what resoning does the whites have for hating blacks? Interesting question, isn’t it.

    1. Thanks for your thoughts Tobias.

      Even more important, though, we must not give power to hate to cause harmful effects such as destructive fires, floods, etc. The spiritual and scientific demand on all thinkers is to disempower any form of evil from having a bad effect. Then the hatred and any mental storms resulting from it will stop. And that means peace for everyone in thought and outward experience. God created a universe of Love for us to live in and enjoy! And there is no room for hate anywhere to abide or flare up in God’s universe of Love.

  31. Keep up the good work everybody! Although I’m not on the west coast, where I live we are in a drought. Even though there was only a 25% chance of rain today, we just got 0.83″ of much needed rain at my house (and it’s still raining!). All of the rain barrels that we use to water our large vegetable garden are now full. I am glad to know each day that there is always a “100% chance” that God is good and lovingly cares for His creation!

  32. I am in awe of the marvelous metaphysicians that are so filled with love and willingness to join together and pray. How powerful – unstoppable is this right knowing! How glorious to see this alert response to one dear man’s website!
    Hooray and hallelujah for Christian Science and its adherents! Nothing is impossible for good, God.

  33. As I prayed today about these firest and the fear they cause. I was led to study Mrs. Eddy’s drfinition of fear in the Glossary. I saw how she has seven words in that definition and how the seven synonyms for God can nullify each of those fears. I especially worked with the word inflammation and saw how Love quiets the emflamed thought. As I worked nullifying the other fears with a synonym I could see where Mind nullifys or heals any sense of ignorance trying to tell us we don’t know how to pray about this situation. Truth naturally uncovers error and every situation and on error can survive when Truth is at the helm.
    I continued to work with each word with one of the synonyms nullifying it’s claim to reality. A friend once told me that her definition of F-E-A-R was F-forgetting E-everything A-about
    R-reality. That made sense to me because if we lose sight of reality then we will be afraid of any false suggestion of sin, disease, dealth, fear, lack or even fire. But knowing what is real and holding to the reality of all things we are not fearful or anxious about any situation. We are at peace because we indeed know what is true. Like Elijah we know that God, the giver of all good is not in the wind, fire or earthquake. He is in all that is good and He is omnipotent.
    Our prayers are with you all and you are all safe in God’s loving care. “The storm may roar without me, My heart may low be laid; But God is round about me, And can I be dismayed?” Hymn 148

  34. I am so grateful for your blog each time I read it but especially today. I have been praying about the fires just over the mountains from us in Eastern Washington and for all the dear people whose homes have been threatened. I got so many wonderful, spiritual ideas from your blog and from the comments. It is truly inspiring how many expressions Love takes. I have focused on the idea of God begin present in the “still, small voice”..not the fire. Although it does bring rebirth and new growth to forests, it needn’t bring destruction and death to God’s ideas. Thank you for the idea of “living in a state of thought” and that we can make a mental correction that “neutralizes the evil and restores peace and order”. This hymn keeps running through my thought too….
    “In atmosphere of Love divine,
    We live, and move, and breathe;
    Though mortal eyes may see it not,
    ‘Tis sense that would deceive.” (hymn 144)

  35. I really feel the love tonight on this blog while reading and pondering it and its comments. Wow! Thank you – needed that. Must be blessing and snuffing/smothering out those fires. Love and blessings to all. Safe and secure in God’s omnipotent care.

  36. There is no physical or material consuming fire and God’s idea – man – can never be threatened. The bible shows us how Moses saw a burning bush that was not being consumed and understood God, as Spirit, illumines our understanding. As metaphysicians we understand carnal mindedness warps truth and thus error is to be removed as we take “off our shoes” or “wash each others feet”. There is only God and in God we live and move and have our being. Safe, secure in eternal harmony – and we know it!

  37. Update: I just finished reading through all of the comments and what a blessing – thanks to all! Prayer does work.

    The people who had to evacuate their homes in Big Bear Lake, California, have now been able to return home.

  38. What an amazing outpouring of Love…that will put the fires out!

    The way to extract error from mortal mind is to pour in truth through flood-tides of Love.

    Laguna Beach California has frequently been the focus of devastating fires. I remember one fire in particular…it seemed out of control very threatening…everything was in danger of burning.

    I was staying with friends in another town as Laguna Beach residents that were outside the borders were not allowed back in. I went to the Wednesday night testimonial meeting with my friends. I was filled with fear because my husband was at home and I felt in danger. But during the meeting collective prayer was put forth and I felt a sense of peace pour over me.

    Coming home I could see the fire. It lit up everything for miles around. But then very unexpectedly and very slowly…a thick marine layer began to move in from the ocean covering the fire! That marine layer put the fire out and what had been a very frightening experience was over!

    I believe to this day that the collective prayer that was put forth by all, everyone…put that fire out!

    These present fires will be put out in exactly the same way, through flood-tides of Love…you will see it!

    My thanks to ALL the contributors. Love rules.

  39. I’m grateful that God is and always has been expressing His/Her perfection. I read somewhere that animal magnetism is the dream of life in matter, not something that happens in the dream! Ditch the material dream and become conscious of what is really going on instead – God’s loving creation, filled with safety and peace. Thanks Evan and to all!

  40. PLs would you send me this Aug 24th Blog again…..Fires on the West Coast…I can’t seem to be able to send this as email to myself…so I can save it!!!

    Many thanks, Barbara

Leave a comment!

Keep the conversation going! Your email address will not be published.

*