I’ve been watching events in Libya and the Middle East with great interest. It is inspiring that millions of people throughout several countries and under many different governments can decide nearly all at once that its time to fearlessly stand up for their rights in the face of gruesome tyrants at the head of their political and military infrastructure.

Living in relatively quiet and calm Richland, Washington, in the United States, which is under democratic rule, its tempting to think the troubles those North African countries face striving to break free of despotic rule is remote to my experience. But it is not. Despots take many different forms in the human experience.

Political rulers, dictators, and tyrants are only one form of despotism, and one of the most outward and blatant.

Mary Baker Eddy, who lived in the 1800s when the fight against slavery was fought in the United States, had this to say about despotism:

“Legally to abolish unpaid servitude in the United States was hard; but the abolition of mental slavery is a more difficult task. The despotic tendencies, inherent in mortal mind and always germinating in new forms of tyranny, must be rooted out through the action of the divine Mind.

“Men and women of all climes and races are still in bondage to material sense, ignorant how to obtain their freedom.”

Material sense is the ultimate despot! It rules through false belief, fear, mental intimidation, aggressive suggestion, hypnotic persuasion, ignorance, doubt and more…

Are you serving the despot of material sense today? Do you need to wake up and start fighting for your rights, similar to how the people in North Africa are waking to their rights to freedom and self-government?

As citizens of North Africa are learning, it requires fearless courage to come out of their “safe places”, stand in the streets, and protest for freedom. Yet, steps have to be taken for progress to be made.

Eddy also wrote,

“Christian Science raises the standard of liberty and cries: “Follow me! Escape from the bondage of sickness, sin, and death!” Jesus marked out the way. Citizens of the world, accept the “glorious liberty of the children of God,” and be free! This is your divine right. The illusion of material sense, not divine law, has bound you, entangled your free limbs, crippled your capacities, enfeebled your body, and defaced the tablet of your being.”

We don’t have to serve despots.

We don’t have to put up with disease. We don’t have to resign to a life of suffering. We don’t have to accept economic poverty and lack. We don’t have to live in loneliness and isolation. These are all illusions of material sense, and only appear to have a hold as long as we believe them and bow down to them and serve them.

Maybe its time to stand up for your rights…?

Come out and be free! Don’t serve the despot of material sense anymore.