If you’ve ever tempted to hate another person, whether a politician, co-worker, family member, or neighbor, it’s an opportunity to love more and learn the value of impersonalizing evil.
In Christian Science, one learns that evil is never a person. Other people may act evilly, but the evil they act out is not their person. It’s a wrong state of mind influencing them. When the wrong state of mind is corrected, the influence of evil disappears, and the person’s more Godlike nature emerges and takes over.
We can do the most good for society when we impersonalize evil and pray to dissolve the evil that saves the person.
To impersonalize evil is to strip it of person, and to see its nothingness in view of Love’s omnipresence.
For instance, if a family member does something to offend you, rather than getting angry and resentful, separate the action from their person, and pray to see the unreality of the perceived evil. Undo it. See clearly, that only the Mind of Love reigns in your family, creating goodwill between family members. That there is no room for pride, self-righteousness, dishonesty, cruelty or revenge to exist in your family of Love. Lose all fear of the evil. Disempower it. See its nothingness until it doesn’t get you upset any longer. See the child of Love that exists in that family member, and hold steadfast to their identity in God’s likeness until it comes out and confirms itself.
All of God’s children were created to be kind, loving and mutually supportive. Any act to the contrary is not their individuality, and should not be identified as such.
See the child of God in everyone. Don’t let evil take on person-like status in your mind. Impersonalize it and strip it of individuality. See the individual of God’s creating in its place, and improve the community you are part of.
“Evil has no reality. It is neither person, place, nor thing, but is simply a belief, an illusion of material sense.”
Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health, p. 71.
Thank you for this. It’s just what I need to deal with the belief of an unhelpful neighbour.
Thank you Evan… Like Sara says.. how did you know- one Mind of course! I’ve been praying through out the night after a seemingly tough day at the office yesterday, with that “error personality” I will hold to this tightly today. What a gift from Love!
Beautiful, thank you, Evan!!
Thank you, Evan! Exactly what I need to work with today (and every day) I have
the perfect opportunity to employ these ideas right now. It is tempting to ask “how
did you know”…but I know how….only ONE MIND! Thank you so much for sharing
these ideas!
Thanks for your Peace be still Evan
that’s nice, Stig – thank you
Thank you, Evan!!
Beyond grateful for the knowledge and understanding of Christian Science.
Words speaking Truth heal. ♥️
Thank you, Evan, for these Christianly scientific truths that are as practical as they are healing for each and all.
This is so timely for me as well. I’ve been working and praying with Ps 91 and S&H 102-103 and for the first time in many months I found peace from a hateful attack by a distant relative. We are both innocent! Actually the whole situation turns out to be a blessing as I grew in spiritual understanding, forgiveness and distance from a personal sense of self. Error never shamed Truth and Love – they negate error!
Love this
A good wake up call for me today, I realize I have been quietly ruminating and letting it eat up my thoughts over a friend who seemed suddenly very rude to me and my friends. No longer! Time to see the man God made. I am on a new track, thank you Evan.
Exactly, this is our foundation as children of God. Beautifully expressed, Evan, Thank you.
Sometimes our thoughts seem justified when someone has treated us unfairly or is holding a grudge, but we still have to “stand porter at the door of thought”, not allowing this evil be personalized. Sometimes it seems very difficult to do. There also seems to be an intense hatred of certain politicians by the media, which also needs our attention to see clearly what the Truth really is, exposing lies of every kind that mortal mind would try to throw at us. A very helpful, topic… Thank you, Evan.
From the chapter Footsteps of Truth S & H pg 223: “Peals that should startle the slumbering thought from its erroneous dream are partially unheeded, but the last trump has not been sounded or this would not be so.” And from this week’s lesson: 1 Cor. 4 :5:
“judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will.make manifest the counsels of the hearts: then shall every man have praise of God.”
This is such an important reminder. Christian Science practiced is spiritual activism. I have heen mindful of how important my thoughts are about others. Healing intention is the most loving thing we all can do for every situation. Our world is formed by thought. Are we blessing and benefiting it? How we respond to our families, friends, co-workers, strangers, government officials is vital to the formation of our environment. We must see God’s child in everyone. Whatever attempts to pervade and influence peace of mind regarding God’s harmonious, all-powerful goodness and expression must be eliminated by acknowledging the Principle that is always operating and harmonizing every thought and action. This spiritual activism is living the two great commandments.
Evan, your blogs are always timely and a force for good!
Beautiful Spiritview Evan! Thank you! 🙂
Whew! SO timely! I could “write a book” about the seeming trickery around personal sense/personality-conflicts/etc. But why?! Best to move quickly on to the truth in all situations and let Truth dissolve the illusions,.
Thank You, God and Your loving reflections: Evan et al.
This is a God send…answering all the “buts, ” “what ifs”, and excuses why I should distrust and dislike what appears to be an evil, lying, cheating, immoral person, influencing my son for years.
I’m on my knees to impersonalize each and every act, to replace it, knowing only what God sees in His reflection. Challenging, but I’m ready.
Thank you for your loving article Evan, I know with you it is sincere. My question is, “How can some people say they love their neighbors and pray about hatred and then cringe if they hear someone is gay or part of the LGBTQ community? This is one thing that has bothered me about most religious organizations and also from Principia to The Mother Church. How can loving someone, no matter what gender, make any difference to the people that are throwing the arrows and they use the Bible to justify themselves. Love is Love, period.
I do appreciate your loving thoughts that you send out to the world.
Debbie,
I appreciated your comment. I work at a charter high school, and I see a number of our students who identify with the LGBTQ community struggle with feelings of being misunderstood and marginalized. The speaker in a Sentinel Watch Q&A from December, 2018, entitled, “Emerge Gently Led by the Christ” gives an inspired answer to how he feels about this issue. I have included a link below, but will quickly summarize if it does
not work for you.
When a questioner asked how Christian Science addresses the issue of gender identification, he answered that he believes that the belief is in line with MLK’s divine inspiration that all humankind is to be judged by the content of their character, not the color of their skin (or sexual orientation). I have prayed with this thought and have been able to share it with my students, as well. I hope you find the podcast as valuable as I do. Have a blessed day. Lisa Z
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/sentinel-audio/sentinel-watch/emerge-gently-led-by-the-christ
Because, first, they take Leviticus 18:22 literally. Secondly, the Bible has been used to justify everything from war to slavery. People have a tendency to completely twist the meaning of the Bible into what they want it to mean. The Jehovah’s Witnesses being a prime example-I had a couple of them as clients once so I know. They’ll often say a bunch of outrageous things such as that the Bible says that 1914 was the last “normal” year. Well, I’ve read Revelation more than once and I can say for myself that that’s not true. Not that I don’t love them as people all the same. I’m just against their groupthink brainwashing practices. It’s unfortunate that it’s so fear-based and that’s not what God is at all.
Thanks to Evan and all!
Thank you Evan.
This reminds me of something a practitioner told me many years ago when I was struggling with a relationship issue. She said, “Don’t give error legs.”
Thanks, Evan. Exactly what I needed to hear this morning. A situation came up yesterday where I need to impersonalize evil, see evil’s nothingness and know only the Godlike nature of the one who seemed to express it. Thank you!
This is so helpful Evan, thank you! I’ve been blessed with little challenge with family, neighbors or coworkers. Alas, all trophy hunters and a few politicians often creep into a place in my thinking that needed your reminders.. of how Christian Science is truly practiced… and how needed!
Thanks, Evan, for a very timely topic as usual. I am dealing with seeing hospital officials as honest and government officials also. I had a visit to the emergency room of a local hospital where nothing was done but taking my blood pressure and, ExRays. I was never examined by a doctor or anyone else. I didn’t even change out of my street clothes. Yet the hospital billed my California insurance, MediCal, for over $10,000. Neither will provide me with a detailed account of what the charges cover. I am struggling to see all creation as created by, and governed by, God, divine Mind. I am praying to see God as supreme over all of His creation. But it is a struggle.
The Gentle Art of Blessing by Pierre Pradervand is a wonderful book that changes everything.
Soooo helpful!!! Thank you all! Jesus’ two commandments are unoptional.
Thank you very much, Evan for this important lesson of today’s blessing SpiritView. Just read this week’s lesson, and it matches completely with this wonderful SpiritView. A thought from Science and Health on page 571 says a lot how to conquer hate or anger : “At all times and under every circumstances overcome evel with good. Understand yourself, and God will give you wisdom and the opportunity for a victory over evel.” To understand ourselves and our neighbor as dear children of a loving God, is the solution to love instead hate! I admit that I also need to pray in order to discern the truth about an uncomfortable situation. However we can be utmost grateful for Evan’s SV and CS.
Thank you all for your helpful comments.
Thanks Evan for the lovely foto – it looks so lighthearted – it is a joy to look at it! 🙂
PS check out Principia upper school graduating Gracie Paul‘s daily left today! We are clearly all thinking/praying along the same lines.
A much needed problem to be addressed and done in such a clarifying manner, as usual, by Evan. Comments wonderful. And Nancy please tell Gracie her Daily Lift was well done and needed by so many listeners.
At best, society tends to teach us to hate the action, not the person. However, you can’t have one without the other. I have personally never been able to think of people themselves as “evil”-and believe me, I’ve tried-so I just start there.
I know I am not alone in having difficulty watching the political situation in our country. People give me a gentle look when I say there is good coming through all of this. I see this as error presenting itself to be destroyed and there is only one power and it is harmonious and good. I love it when Nancy Pelosi says she prays for the president. I believe her. We in New York have known
Donald Trump for decades. I can’t listen to him but I can pray for him.
Depersonalise evil by sticking to and experience more of Jeremiah 29:11. Mind thinks man reflects; Mind’s thoughts are always good. It is God that thinks about me, you and everyone so evil thinking is a false sense of being. We live in One Mind Universe. I had an encounter with someone mouthing nasties and immediately I realised none of those thoughts belong to him or me or anyone as God Only thinks good towards all. That immediately changed the scene with no loss or effect to our good relationship. The more you practice the more you perfect your skills. I declare this Truth silently whenever I hear a rowdy scene anywhere. God thinks me, you and all for His purpose to prosper good in our experience with our world and His universe and relationships with each other to enable us to love one another. His Creation is secured by His capability to preserve our harmony and peaceful living. Law of Heaven/Harmony reigns all the time. We rejoice in God’s harmonious presence.