You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.
~ William Faulkner
In Christian Science the “new horizon” is Life in Spirit. To get there, we must leave notions of life in matter behind.
Be willing to leave the shore
February 18, 2025 | 26 comments
Lovely calming picture Evan. I often think of this likened to Moses leading the people out of Egypt. Plus it’s probably one of the most challenging hurdles to overcome when looking for that spiritual revealing that brings healing. ( and.. never stop praying even if you seem to be in the wilderness for 40 years.! )
One thing I have learnt is that there’s no excuse , if like me you are not surrounded with likewise minded thinkers…apart from here on SV and my new found local on-line Sunday CS service…not to ‘’leave the shore’ for our prayer is based on our individual consciousness of the one Mind with all Gods eternal blessings established right now.
Thank you Evan for clearing my thought today….beautiful.❣️
Thank you, Barbara,
I understand where you are coming from. I had lunch with three work (school) friends yesterday, and for the first hour they talked about health concerns. Not knowing what to say, I was silent, but kept wanting to ask, “but how is it with your soul?” (I’m an old Methodist.)
Finally, I came back from using the bathroom, and we shifted the conversation to family and then to society and then to God, Love, and we shared thoughts on Substance. I did nothing to make that happen. God is always in control. Thanks and Praise be to God!
That is great to hear Amy. Your silence was the right move in that situation. I had mentioned on a recent SpiritView of a similar incident I had at work where I was drawn into a conversation about a physical ailment/treatments and I actually participated, giving reality to matter. I knew that was completely wrong and not legitimate, I think I reacted in the moment, out of a desire to connect with these coworkers.
As I said in my SV comment (2/13/25), I realized, “…..I don’t have to be a mouthpiece or spokesperson for error, that is not my purpose. My purpose is to see how God is reflected in myself and others. I can try to silently pray and bless when I hear this kind of conversation and feel the temptation to participate.”
Another thought on today’s topic from S&H p. 324:
“Willingness….to leave the old for the new, renders thought receptive of the advanced idea. Gladness to leave the false landmarks and joy to see them disappear,–this disposition helps to precipitate the ultimate harmony.”
You can’t move on until you’ve untied the boat.
Very funny Vicky, hope the boat floats before you untie it.
I like your description Vicky.. It really spesaks to me. It describes my childhood experiences in New England.. Thank you.
And you can’t have one foot on the boat and the other on shore!
The boat will not move until the sails are unfurled. Then a glorious ride begins!
Thanks Evan, we must have “courage to lose sight of the shore.” God gives us courage and ability to lose sight of matter, to be so enraptured and uplifted with thoughts of God and Truth, that we forget there ever seemed to be a shore or as you say “notions of life in matter.” Willing to be absent from the body and present with the Lord (2 Corin 5:8).
Untie it, but just keep your eye on the “North Star” (God)
I have this poem in little frame on my dressing table as a reminder of what Evan has shared with us today.
It is titled “Remove The Liability”
We should not ignore
The good that has gone before,
But we must do more.
We must land on Life’s shore,
Kiss the new ground. . . .
And burn the boat.
By Joel Magnes CSS December 13,1984
Life with capital L! Love to all. ♡♡
here is a link to the poem
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/1m5ivgiy80w?s=copylink
I’m sorry, The poem is in CSS December 31, 1984
Thanks Evan. Reminds me of this poem…
Come to the Edge.
We might fall!
Come to the Edge.
It’s too high!
COME TO THE EDGE!
And they came,
And he pushed,
And they flew!
by Christopher Logue
Beautiful!
Thank you, Evan.
“The courage to keep on” by Curtis Wahlberg, from the January 2, 2017 issue of The Christian Science Sentinel:
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/28g3ffy25w8?s=copylink
Thank you J for this really helpful article.
Thank you very much indeed dear J for your loving surching for suitable articles for us!♡
This one. by Curtis Wahlberg is indeed very inspiring and helpful! ♡
Thanks dear Evan for today’s worth pondering SpiritView; and how interesting and inspiring the comments are. – thanks dearly to you all! ❤️
Thank you Evan for the good thought & picture. And thank you J for the helpful relevant article!
I am reminded of a quote from John A. Shedd, which reads, “A ship in
harbor is safe, But that is not what ships are built for”.
It takes courage to venture out of our comfort zones (that we have sometimes
been in for many years) and like Peter, stepping foot into trying to walk on water.
That is, leave the old material ways of things for the spiritual. Sometimes we need
that little nudge … often times we need a Huge nudge. Like, in Shelley’s poem…
we are like baby birds, ready to leave the nest, but being entrenched in fear of the
unknown, need a gentle push to get us to see, that life isn’t mortal, as our limited
false sense testimonies would try to make us believe, but we are spiritual and like
Evan states above, we must “leave notions in life in matter behind”. Easier said
than done, but we all are works in progress. I am thanking you all for the help here
in seeing our True selves as spiritual and not as limited mortals.
Great responses today! Love that quote Carol 🙂
I am giving the readings tomorrow at my Society’s Testimony meeting. I prepared them a while ago. The subject is “Forgetting the past and moving forward”. I am thrilled to read how it fits in with today’s SV and everyone’s comments. Thank you all. L. X
Comment from a young merchant seaman to me many years ago:
“Don’t wait for your ship to come in, go out and meet it”.
Tony T that brought up a chuckle, “. . . go out and meet it.” , by walking on the water all the way from the dry land? Just picture one foot in the water, the other foot walking above the water, dry. GREAT INSPIRATIONAL PICTURE
Thank you, Evan, and everyone who posted.
This is a perfect subject and excellent thoughts that are very helpful to me right now. Such encouraging statements. Bold and firm. Progress is necessary in our spiritual work.
I’m very grateful.