To a grieving widow who lost her dear husband of many decades, the words came to me to share, “Parting is but for a moment. The Life you share together is forever.”
It is true. Life is far more than meets the human eye. A loved one who passes on does not die. They continue to live their eternal spiritual life with God. A material sense of them is what disappears, but they reappear in spiritual sense.
The sooner we can drop a material sense of that person, and adopt the spiritual, we find them alive and well with God. We find them in the same place we find ourselves as children of God—alive and well in Spirit! It’s where there is no passing and no parting, no lack, and no loss. Just on-going Life that lasts forever for them and for us.
Parting is but for a moment. Life together is forever.
Thank you for this encouraging post Evan
It ties in perfectly with this week’s outstanding and moving Sentinel Watch Podcast with David Brown and Tony Lobl:
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/sentinel-audio/sentinel-watch/love-hasn-t-left-this-home
I listened to this earlier this week and it does tie in with today’s subject. Thank you, Evan for introducing this subject. I have been pondering and studying this for several years.
I’m wondering how we are spiritual and appear material -if we are immortal -do we return to appear materially again? I mean,what were we before we appear as this material body?
Is it all elusion? I’m confused and hope you can explain more….thank you
Hi Elizabeth – Quite hard to explain in a few words, but the fact is that although we appear to be material, we never have been. The first Chapter in Genesis tells us that we were made in the image and likeness of God, and matter is not that likeness. As Mary Baker Eddy says, the image of Godcould not be so unlike Him. The second chapter of Genesis is seen as an allegory that reveals to us the false view of man, not made in God’s likeness. It is just a false belief of life in matter, which sets itself against the one God and Father of us all. There is only one Creation, and it is spiritual, and only one kind of man, who is spiritual and governed by theLaw of God, who is Love, forever, and He is taking care of us forever and ever.
I am sure others will enhance this explanation, because it is a wonderful infinite discovery
for each of us to continue learning more and more about, by demonstrating the Laws of
Spirit as demonstrated by Christ Jesus, who came to teach us about our spiritual life – what God is, and what we are in His likeness.
You stayed this perfectly. Thank you.
You stated this perfectly. Thank you.
My understanding is that we, as “humans” are made up of qualities that are spiritually available to choose and actually demonstrate in our daily lives and it is these qualities of the Christly ambassadorship that are infinite, on-going , and always present and surrounding us regardless of creed, sex, ethnicity, physical discourse, etc. these qualities exist indestructibly,….our daily “employment “ is to choose embracing the good, truth, principle, spirit, soul, love, truth awaiting us to welcome! Our “departed” loved ones’ qualities are always present, ready for us to take them under our wings and continue moving forward.This is what I have learned in my experience-without the benefit of “structured “ Christian Science learning; simply reading and applying what works for me and absorbing more each step of the journey . All Good with opportunity!
Yes it wouldbe lovely to have a clear explanation of this. If I could also ask when experienced practitioners pass on, how do we come to terms with that when we are seeking healing ourselves and a far less experienced in CS. Thank you, I would be so grateful fir some clarification on these points. x
My husband passed on a year and a half ago. As a lifelong Christian Scientist, I know he has gone on in his experience, learning and expressing love to others. People tell me I’ll see him again, but I am struggling with this because I know in my material life people (and their spiritual ideas) have come into my experience and then I don’t see them again. With all the spiritual individuals (billions, millions?) I feel uncertain about seeing him again, and feel I have to learn to let him go on in his experience. The time we spent together is forever. Yes, we will all see spiritual infinity eventually, but can you explain how we are never parted, no lack, no loss?
Just sharing some ideas with all. Science and health says, ” In the vestibule through which we pass from one dream to another dream, or when we awake from earth’s sleep to the grand verities of Life, the departing may hear the glad welcome of those who have gone before. The ones departing may whisper this vision, name the face that smiles on them and the hand which beckons them, as one at Niagara, with eyes open only to that wonder, forgets all else and breathes aloud his rapture.
When being is understood, Life will be recognized as neither material nor finite, but as infinite, — as God, universal good; and the belief that life, or mind, was ever in a finite form, or good in evil, will be destroyed. Then it will be understood that Spirit never entered matter and was therefore never raised from matter.”
(SH 75:29–12). Mary Baker Eddy raised several people from the dead, and they had what is now called near death experiences. Perhaps she even had one herself, as she describes herself “… standing already within the shadow of the death-valley, …” )before her healing of injuries from a fall. So she had opportunity to know what might be experienced in this case by herself and others. She wrote from experience.. When she wrote the poem MEETING OF MY DEPARTED MOTHER AND HUSBAND
(Mis. 385:9) she told a friend (Herman Herring) that she had brought her husband, Asa Eddy, back from death and he described meeting her mother, whom he had never known in human life.
These things are food for thought along the line of questions asked today in this forum.
Myriam i like when you say about your late husband, »I have to learn to let him go on his own experience »
Also without hurting any feelings if we are married
2 or 3 times and unfortunately these dear companions
Passed away, how do we deal with these concepts of eternity…. Lile you said it very well Miriam, the person
Is ok to continue his/her journey, because like it has been said « we can’t kill the Spirit « so technically we can’t worry, but continue to get closer to that eternal & infinite Power.
Thanks to Evan to make us better thinkers and hopefully better human being,
Thanks to all for the constant inspiring lines!
Hi Miriam,
My husband passed on about 4 years ago and it was the biggest loss of my life, (other than my mom) so I understand how you feel about seeing your dear husband again. Everything Mrs. Eddy says about life is that it is eternal, and I feel in my heart that is true, despite the fact that I can’t see my husband right now. I know I will again. There’s just too much love between us, for us to be lost from one another forever, and also God is too good a God to leave us in a state of separation from one another forever. I had an amazing experience when my mom passed that also confirms we will see each other again. I’ll share it now. I was very close to my mom and during the last year of her life, we talked a lot about spiritual healing-she was Catholic and I’m a student of Christian Science- so of course I wanted to help her in any way I could without pushing my views on her. But, she had read Science and Health herself at one point and called it “a wonderful religion” so she was open to the idea of spiritual healing. One of the beliefs she suffered from was arthritis in her hands and the ring finger of her left hand was bent and she could not lift it at all. My mom passed away on a Saturday afternoon and that night, I woke up in the middle of the night to see her sitting on a bench in my bedroom. She looked beautiful and about 25 years younger than when I saw her earlier that day. Her hair was still gray but beautifully styled. She looked totally healthy and she raised her left hand and her finger was straight. She came to me to show me she was healed. Nothing like that had ever happened to me before, or since. It didn’t happen with my husband, but seeing my mom proved to me we all continue on and we will “know each other there” – a quote from my C.S. Teacher. Sometimes it helps to hear about other people’s experiences and there’s an older movie, Heaven is for Real, (with Greg Kinnear) about a little boy’s experience regarding life after this earthly one, and it’s really special. I hope this helps and take care. Debra
Dear Debra, Thank you for this wonderful comment.
Please see my comment below. It would be too scrunchy
and compressed to type it here.
Thank you Debra,
Your comments really help, thank you for sharing. I have heard stories of people seeing individuals who have recently passed. My husband and I were also very close and together for many decades. Growing without him has been the hardest thing I have faced. Now, I can trust that we might connect again.
Thank you so much for your time and thoughts,all really appreciated and it seems further discussion could help others too.
I love CS and the ideas are spot on,so please continue here with your extremely helpful thoughts!
Perhaps Evan, with all his experience would take a moment to clarify these things which often people in the CS movement seem to ‘skirt around’ and I don’t think it does the movement any good not to discuss these issues.
I love CS however there seems to be a silence in some areas. A few years ago my practitioner passed on and it seemed like she had never existed as there was no mention of her anywhere. It really shook my beliefs and I always felt as a person who had had a high office in the Mother Church, there might have been some mention of her! This is not a criticism but more a reaching out for clarification.
Très chers amis, j’ai eu une discussion avec une amie praticienne qui peut, peut-être donner un éclairage à ce sujet. Il est question de dépersonnalisation. En fait, ce que j’ai compris, c’est que quelque soit la personne,nouvellement Scientiste Chrétienne ou bien ayant des hautes fonctions en SC, il s’agit toujours d’une idée de Dieu pure et parfaite qui a les mêmes valeurs. Cette amie me disait combien il est important de dépersonnaliser et de voir l’enfant de Dieu. Je crois que c’est pour cela que nous n’avons pas d’information complémentaire sur les praticiens décédés. Il n’y a aucun attachement personnel à faire avec personne.
voila ce que j’ai compris grâce à l’échange que j’ai eu avec mon amie, j’espère que cela vous éclairera. Belle journée.
Merci de cette explication. Bien que j’aie été moi-même troublée de voir la disparition de certaines personnes auxquelles je tenais, scientistes ou non, MBE dit que nous nous éveillons du songe de la mort avec des corps invisibles de ceux qui croient en notre mort.Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 429:17
Je connais deux personnes en lesquelles j’ai toute confiance qui étaient sur le point de mourir et qui sont “revenue” parmi nous si j’ose dire. Une praticienne que je connais a pu ramener une personne a la vie. Ce qui compte c’est ce que nous apprenons sur la Vie en tant qu Esprit, et ce que nous faisons de cette existence pour mieux comprendre Dieu et aimer/aider les autres. La mort est une fausse croyance comme la maladie et le péché. Peut-être sommes-nous à notre stade comme des enfants qui apprennent la multiplication ou la division, et nous apprendrons plus tard les opérations plus complexes. On ne passe pas directement de l’addition a l’algebre. C’est le magnétisme animal qui nous forcerait a nous concentrer sur la mort, comme si c’était la fin ultime de toutes choses. Voici la citation en anglais:
Mortals waken from the dream of death with bodies unseen by those who think that they bury the body.
(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 429:17)
Perhaps Evan, with all his experience would take a moment to clarify these things which often people in the CS movement seem to ‘skirt around’ and I don’t think it does the movement any good not to discuss these issues.
A few years ago my practitioner passed on and it seemed like she had never existed as there was no mention of her anywhere. It really shook my beliefs and I always felt as a person who had had a high office in the Mother Church, there might have been some mention of her! This is not a criticism but more a reaching out for clarification.
Practitioners are not “above” us . They have their human bodies as we do so we shouldn’t be surprised when “ even practitioners “ pass on because we all leave this awareness of life to progress further and endlessly.
We cannot understand sometimes when a “good” person passes on early but a “ bad” person continues on endlessly causing problems wherever they go. But consider that this awareness is our chance to learn so my personal thought in this is that sometimes practitioners and other people who are more spiritually advanced leave early because they have learnt what they needed to here. People who are still making mistakes or who are still working out their life lesson need to stay here longer. Part of the problem of people finding it hard to understand why a practitioner passed on early stems from us feeling that “ dying” out if this existence is like a punishment … something went wrong ! Why do we think this? When we transition to the next stage there is more progress in store… not punishment. This is just my opinion and not necessarily what cs says but , as you commented, CS skirts around this subject in some ways . So many hundreds of thousands of people momentarily “ die” and are sent back or are resuscitated and all come back telling us there is nothing to be afraid of. Being here is the hardest part but knowing that the person has just “ moved house to a place with poor wifi “ may be a way to help heal the sadness . We do not leave Life.. we just leave our shell behind , like a cicada or a butterfly… to continue on in a beautiful and glorious way.
Denise spleidly put – spiritual sense is not conscient to mortal sense (so called) and the motal questions that seem to cry out for answers dont really exist as question but as toughts yearning to find Truth more clear- that force us to think more spiritually, thinking more Godlike thoughts where mortal mind wants answers it can understand while not giving up the falsity that is spirituality misinterpreted..
We imperatively have to pry to go up higher in our individuality through prayer and increasing spititual discernment and love for God to learn step by step to let mortal mind go entirely from conciousness and let divine Mind the ONLY Mind bring Truth to our attention in a way tht we can perceive and understand.
Thank you Denise !
GOd bless you!
Just a little more light each day to experiment our understanding !
Thank you for this timely supporting and sustaining message, Evan. I lost a most loved pet this week, and it’s been so painful. While I know she (and we all) is a spiritual Being and cannot be touched by sickness or death, the missing of that being has been hard to get past. Thank you for this encouraging support to keep working to upshift my tears of love for confidence in her spiritual ongoing aliveness.
Dear Wendy, I’m with you hundred percent, sometimes I tell people I would like to pass away before our pet!
So again the reality, the spiritual reality is that your pet will
Never left you as soon you see it in God’s Mind.
I believe God is aware of His:Her. Création and each
Specific and individual idea; So this vacuum will not stay
Because theSpirit ( God) knows and will direct and lead
you to new beautiful landscapes.and spiritual realities.
Regarding thoughts on when someone — especially a CS Practitioner , passes on…. My thoughts in that area previously (‘how that could happen?’) let me know I had more work to do on what Life is. The goal isn’t to express Eternal Life in a material body forever, right? My prayerful work now focuses on understanding more clearly, Life as Spiritual. Here and Hereafter. Thanks for the good thoughts and discussion. ❤️
This is a fascinating topic and one that I am very confused about and
would love more clarity. I have had a lot of friends and mostly all my
“mortal” family who have passed on and understanding more of this
passage into another realm of being is something that I would like to
know more spiritually about or if I am thinking correctly on what is
going on, as it is very confusing. I appreciate so much insights that
would help more to know if my understanding is on the right track.
Thank you so much, to all, who have a deeper knowledge into this
and wish to share.
Thank you Evan for this post. I relate and need these thoughts My husband passed almost one year ago and if it wasn’t for Christian Science I can’t imagine how I could deal with his passing. For me, I have had much growth because of CS, but I will admit it isn’t always easy. I especially like the article, The Passing of the Seagull. Please continue this discussion, many of us need these loving thoughts, thank you!
I am grateful that Evan chose this hard topic and to see everybody’s comments.
The following quotation has helped me a lot:
Mortals waken from the dream of death with bodies unseen by those who think that they bury the body.(Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, p. 429:17)
So this helps me know how there is no real parting, except in a mortal sense of things.
I think it is a false sense of animal magnetism that would try to make human beings believe that there is nothing else but material life represented by material bodies. MBE insists that disbelief in death as well as disbelief in disease and sin is so important to understand and accept Life in God. But most of us don’t just jump from learning addition to working out complex problems of algebra. However I believe each healing [even modest] that we have proves that Life in Spirit is real, which means that death is thereby overcome –in a way– with each healing. AND we can choose to remember that there is this promise from Jesus Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.
(John 8:51)
Thank you Helen for your sweet and wise words
Yes our present reality is to DEMONSTRATE here on Earth
With CS, our daily healings even SMALL ONES!
Thius , The questions of death will unfold gently in every step of our journey ,
Blessings to u and all.
Qualities. Spiritual qualities, unique, individual and all reflected. We are spiritual ideas, a composite that is totally and wholly God based, funded and sustained, “never in nor of matter.” MBE makes clear that this radical position is the fundamental Principle to which Jesus alluded and by which he healed. “But my friend has/had a material body and human life.” No, not really; just spiritual qualities apparent to spiritual sense–kindness, compassion, humor, industriousness, creativity, intelligence, friendliness, honesty, love, inspiration, courage, sturdiness, loyalty. We are all a complete composite of spiritual qualities, reflecting all in direct relation to our creator. And can only be good, as God is expressing us as good (His only nature). Everything else is illusion, delusion and mortal mind consensus to accept the dream. We don’t actually “pass on,” as I see it; we are not really “passing through” matter–the dream of mortal existence just makes it seem so. “Never born and never dying,” we are a permanent, eternal, infinite reflection of God. Pretty wonderful, when you think about it. Thank you God. Here’s a good article:
https://journal.christianscience.com/issues/1933/1/50-10/spiritual-preexistence?_gl=1*ywd0vn*_ga*MTE0OTE0OTgxMS4xNjkwODk1OTY4*_ga_82T1KK2N0J*MTY5NDAwNTQ3NC44MC4xLjE2OTQwMDkzMTUuMC4wLjA.
Thanks very much, William for posting that enlightening, wonderful article ! Here one can understand ones perfect spiritual being before birth and after socalled death, which both are absolutely unreal.
O, am I grateful for this blessing SpiritView Forum. Thank you Evan and thank you all!!♡
After posting my response to Elizabeth which is based on what I have
learned and demonstrated in my own experience, I was thinking about how
the same Principle applies to our pets. God made everything that is made, and\that includes all creatures, all as His spiritual ideas – and we can know that they have spiritual identities and indestructible lives also. God cares for and loves everything He has made. I think about this when I have a problem with a pet, or when they seem to have passed out of our sight. They have never passed out of our Father’s sight.
We need to change our perspective and seek to understand and exercise our God-given spiritual faculties, which see everything from the same perspective as the Mind that made everything. Divine Principle, God, is the life and law of perfection to all His creation.
My cat a while ago seemed to be on her last legs. I wasn’t going to accept that material picture, so I turned in prayer to God, and affirmed the truths that I had leaned, that she was right at that moment, and every moment the spiritual perfect idea of God who had made her. I prayed to see her as God was seeing her, as His perfect, healthy joyful and endearing, loveable idea and not a lump of matter with her own pussycat mind according general mortal beliefs. I kept my thoughts on the spiritual reality, thanking God for His goodness and love for me and for my beloved pet, and after a few days, she appeared to me as healthy and lively, and looked back to her normal beautiful self, instead of the bag of bones that the material senses presented that short while ago. As Evan
said yesterday – it is all about perspective – what we accept as real.
Thank you Evan.
There are some very interesting comments. what we have to remember is the fact that we have never been born into matter, and if we have never been born, we cannot experience death. our material existence is just an illusion and that illusion will remain with us untill we have become totally spiritual in thought. After we go through so called death our experience will remain material untill a full spiritual transition has taken place. that is my understanding. lovley to read all your comments.
Thank you all for your comments. Death is, of course, the ultimate challenge of mortal existence to overcome in the sense of not fearing it or saddened by it. I like to think of Jesus saying “If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death” that he meant we won’t fear death. Jesus is the only known person (I think) that ascended. His understood his spiritual existence so clearly that the material body could no longer contain him, limit him. We are all working to get that clearer understanding of our spiritual nature. Yes, the material body seems substantial and the embodiment of life, but as we grow in our understanding of the spiritual nature of Life, then the material ceases to impress us, have a hold on us, and we experience healing. Every time we have a healing, our consciousness is lifted to a greater awareness of our spiritual nature–and that is what is truly substantial, not the material body and material existence. Actually, healing IS the result of our growing understanding of our existence of spiritual life which Jesus taught and proved. To be sure, this is not always easy, but step by step, day by day as we study and ponder and pray and put into practice what we do understand and see healing in our lives, we begin to get a sense and confidence that death is a “passing through” to the next stage of Life.
” Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” 1 John 3. In answer to Elizabeth, we won’t know what comes next until we experience it. But Jesus did prove that there is much more to life than what the material picture is presenting us. Much has been written about others who have passed, or in the process of, and decided to stay here a little longer. (Books like Dying to be Me is a good example.) So, we don’t know for sure what we were before and what we will be after. But Jesus’s healing of others and himself, and our own healing work, are proofs of spiritual life being what is truly substantial.
Wow, I love all of these explanations! They fit into the one!
I love especially William E’s comment as uplifting for me… though all are so sincere and helpful in their own way. When I had a beloved cat pass on after praying so intensely for her life… I gradually had several helpful thought corrections come. One was that my well-meaning prayers needed an uplift as in a sense I thought I had been willing her to live… and I asked myself what is me sense of life, anyway? Is it seeing the little body move up and down breathing? I hoped I had a much fuller understanding of life/Life than that!! We have much to learn. Later the thought came, “Let the comforter comfort!” And that was the end of dwelling on death and defeat. I envisioned her running and disporting herself as spiritual ideas do. And when our other cat then had a problem I realized I could get out of my mental rut and pray for him… and there was a lovely healing.
I was with a friend at her passing many years ago and she seemed to have the experience of seeing loved ones just before her “death.” She exclaimed, “daddy angel!”
When a beloved practitioner passed on unexpectedly (to us), what came to me was the story of Elijah and Elisha at Elijah’s parting. Elisha was told that IF he “saw” him at the parting, he would, as desired, receive a double portion of Elijah’s spirit (spiritual sense)… and he did. I thought we too can seek to spiritually “see” these workers in their true relation to God and as we do, we will receive at least a “portion” of the spiritual sense they shared so generously with us.
Thank you Nancy, what you shared about the story of Elijah, Elisha and the parting is very helpful to me, I will study that story further. Grateful to all who shared light and understanding about practitioners passing on, as I too experienced this several months ago. Initially there was sadness and confusion, but I’m thankful to see spiritual progress. When I think of her now I feel a growing sense of peace and calmness and an expanded sense that all is well with her, She used to say – all is well because all IS well.
I treasure everyone’s honesty and deep wisdom on today’s sensitive topic, as L said it is the “ultimate challenge of mortal existence to overcome in the sense of not fearing it or being saddened by it.” Special thanks to those who mentioned beloved pets, so healing for me to read those comments in thinking of our dear dear Chommper who “trotted ahead” a while back. Love to you all!
“Beyond death and dying: issues of Life” (Insights on the life you can never lose) by David C. Driver:
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/25hpu10b2uc
This subject…material departing…does invoke much anguish without the fundamental understanding of what the reality of Being truly is. Thank goodness for Mrs Eddys discovery and personal endeavour to make it available for us.
I love reading the various comments here today and would only add a couple of points helpful for myself.
Jesus appeared physically and yet could travel in an instant..could defy so called laws of nature. He also said we could expect to surpass his actions. His disciples recognised Moses and Elijah talking with him…Matt 17. So much for material place and time !
‘’When the light of one friendship after another passes from earth to heaven, we kindle in place thereof the glow of some deathless reality” (Pulpit and Press, p. 5).
There is another sentinel article by Dorcas Strong called..’’comfort after a loved one passes on’’ sorry I can’t supply a link…maybe someone else here can.
What is God without man , his individual ideas …expressing Him for eternity?
There’s no before or after, was or will be….just Now, Being,, Love….IAM THAT IAM.
The more we can know and see this the more material error will fade and harmony reign.
I hope I’m not too far off point with this blog Evan❣️
Dear Barbara, maybe this is the link to the article you mentioned ? I do hope this helps.
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/2cysysk2d7a?s=e
Dear Beatrice…yes this is the one, so thank you so much for finding the link! I’ve found it so helpful on occasion and every time I read it another part shines through. Amazing! I do hope some more of our SV friends find the same comfort. B.x
SO Beautiful and comforting!!! Beatrice and BarbaraUK!!
Such wonderful love of God shining through. Thank you
so much for sharing these awesome thoughts.
In Unity of Good Mary Baker Eddy writes “To say that you and I, as mortals, will not enter the dark shadows of material sense, called death, is to assert what we have not proved: but man in Science never dies…..
“Resurrection from the dead (that is, from the belief in death) must come to all sooner or later; and they who have part in this resurrection are they upon whom the second death has no power.”
In Misc Writings she states, “When we shall have passed the ordeal called death, or destroyed this last enemy, and shall have come upon the same plane of conscious existence with those gone before, then we shall be able to communicate with and to recognize them.
If before the change whereby we meet the dear departed, our life work proves to have been well done, we shall not have to repeat it; but our joys and means of advancing will be proportionately increased.”
That is comforting. We have had so many healings with our pets. But eventually they all passed on peacefully. The Lord’s prayer reminds us “as in heaven, so on earth, God is omnipotent, supreme”
Therefore, Divine Love can make all “passing on” painless and peaceful for our loved ones and ourselves. Indeed, some of our dear pets just went to sleep in a favorite spot, and we felt no sadness. I love that Mrs. Eddy has said we will all see those who have passed on before.
I understand that. Also, I believe we need to give our consent before leaving this earth. So many of our elderly friends in nursing homes who were not allowed to see their loved ones due to the restrictions by our government during to the pandemic-gave their consent to pass on. So beware of aggressive suggestions to give up and hope for a better place. Divine Life is here and now and everywhere, and the world has need of us as Christian Scientists to live joyously and abundantly NOW!
I am finding all of these comments so very helpful. Thank you so
much Everyone!
A thought that clung to thought from the very well written for
understanding article that J shared .. Thank you, J …. –
“Spiritualizing our consciousness through daily prayer that
acknowledges our inseparable oneness with eternal Life, God,
is practicing [daily] resurrection”. I love that. It puts this whole
topic more into a comprehending perspective.
When my distant cousins wanted to visit my Grandfather’s
gravesite last week, I couldn’t help but get such a sense of peace
while there – not of so many “quiet” folks, blending in infinite-angelic
(God’s immortality) non-material repose, but of the spiritual presence
of their loving expressions that live on forever.
It was like the feeling I got when I had visited the heavenly light
beams and memorial of the twin towers when solemnly these
eternal lives were respected and cherished. Interestingly an awesome
double rainbow appeared above the city on Sept. 11th of this year
after a storm, a friend had pictorially shared with me and I had seen
on a news report …. God’s way of assuring us all is well. So Lovely!
I also find it interesting in thinking of the “dream thoughts” as
connected with today’s topic – that dogs Know when another dog is
dreaming or not, as they don’t go running to the door, if another
barks in their dream, as they would when they are awake. (An amusing
and fascinating observation).
Thank you very much, dear Evan for this toppic today. Having been a CS nurse decades ago I had a patient who was afraid of this theme. So I took Miscellaneous Writings by Mary Baker Eddy and opened page 42. There Mr. Eddy replies to the following question: “After the change called death takes place, do we meet those gone before? – or does life continue in thought only as in a dream?”
When I read that to her, her fear deminished and vanished then. I myself find this short article satisfying and understandable.
And thank you Maggie! What you said as reply to Elizabeth Crampton (the second comment today) is so clear. According to the Bible God created man to His image and likeness, in His likeness He created man (us all). And as God is Spirit, He created us totally spiritual von beginning on. So actually we have never been material. The supposed materiality is a mortal dream and we can overcome it by studying Christian Science very thoroughly. It demands honest work and prayers from our side, but it is worth it, and our spirituality is very true!
Thank you all for your very interesting comments!
Uta,
Thank you for sharing that quote from Miscellaneous Writings P. 42 (Questions and Answers). I have read and shared MBE’s answer to this age-old question to so many…. where much solace and comfort are felt as a result.
page 42 Miscellaneous Writings
“After the change called death takes place, do we meet those gone before? — or does life continue in thought only as in a dream?
Man is not annihilated, nor does he lose his identity, by passing through the belief called death. After the momentary belief of dying passes from mortal mind, this mind is still in a conscious state of existence; and the individual has but passed through a moment of extreme mortal fear, to awaken with thoughts, and being, as material as before. Science and Health clearly states that spiritualization of thought is not attained by the death of the body, but by a conscious union with God. When we shall have passed the ordeal called death, or destroyed this last enemy, and shall have come upon the same plane of conscious existence with those gone before, then we shall be able to communicate with and to recognize them.
If, before the change whereby we meet the dear departed, our life-work proves to have been well done, we shall not have to repeat it; but our joys and means of advancing will be proportionately increased.
The difference between a belief of material existence and the spiritual fact of Life is, that the former is a dream and unreal, while the latter is real and eternal. Only as we understand God, and learn that good, not evil, lives and is immortal, that immortality exists only in spiritual perfection, shall we drop our false sense of Life in sin or sense material, and recognize a better state of existence.”
This is a Good article by Bicknel Young – an actual experience ( many years ago ) which was extensively reported in the local press
https://youtu.be/LPh2ng3HTO8
This is a very interesting discussion. Thank you to everyone who has posted.
I was struck particularly by L’s insight that Jesus “understood his spiritual existence so clearly that the material body could no longer contain him, limit him.” It reminded me that the material body is only mortal thought, which is not real. Matter is limited thought.
Jesus told the disciples that they would meet again. It seems that would have to be in the realm of their full understanding of man’s spiritual nature since he had shed all material beliefs.
Thank you Evan and all. In Science and Health we read, Mortals waken from the dream of death with bodies unseen by those who think that they bury the body. 429:17
It is clear that the material body we see and touch is only a belief, that is why we do not accept suggestions that come from the mortal body but rather dictate it’s terms and speak Truth to it thus quieting the material bodies and upholding our immortal selves.
Testimony.
Just a brief summary.
A friend’s mother passed on at age 105. I was called to assist as the corpse was to be taken to the mortuary. I knew that she had not died but was moving on in her immortal body unseen by us. I knew that the body called corpse was only our belief.
While there the Lord’s prayer was going on in my thought with it’s spiritual interpretation. This was to get away from the general belief of death. I maintained that she had not died but had simply moved on.
I was asked to receive the corpse in the car. As the corpse was handed to me, I received it with one hand. The corpse was as light as a piece of paper..
Through the years I have come to the understanding, as we are learning as students of Christian Science that man never dies but lives on, and that what we call corpse is only a belief.
The statement above became clearer to me.
How do you describe your loved one, pet, or your CS teacher? Five foot two eyes a blue or cute and fluffy? Or do you describe them as intelligent, loving, happy, thoughtful, beautiful, etc. . . ? What attracted them to you? It wasn’t just their looks, it was their qualities of kindness, and joy. Well, since all of those qualities are qualities or attributes of God, those qualities haven’t changed. You can still feel and acknowledge them, however, in a different form.
When my husband passed away, I discovered that his qualities of kindness, intelligence, happiness, joy, etc. came thru other ways. Sometimes a friend expressed kindness just like my husband; sometimes even a stranger acted thoughtfully just like my husband did. By recognizing that these qualities are infinite because they have come from God, I never grieved for my husband. I knew I could never be without any quality of God. I knew he was going on expressing his individuality and inseparability to God like he ever did. And I can do the same. We need to elevate our thinking to the absolute and see everyone as an already child of God and no one can feel lack or hurt. As Mrs. Eddy says in Science and Health on page 46, “In his final demonstration, called the ascension, which closed the earthly record of Jesus, he rose above the physical knowledge of his disciples and material sense saw him no more.”
The way I thought about my teacher is similar to when Jesus left the disciples and when Mrs. Eddy left the early workers, the “teacher” had taught the students sufficient knowledge that now It was the student’s opportunity to follow and go out and heal.
DEARLY DEPARTED
Marvel not that I touched the intangible
And with senses so transformed
Felt as I had never done before.
All around me was the Ever-Presence and Power of Love:
Peaceful, strong.
Re-assuring.
I was somehow separate from my body,
Caught up in a feather breeze of Soul
That bore me on gentle wings across the face of infinity.
Hymns and praises, soaring angel sounds,
Rang joyous symphonies throughout my being:
I was inseparable from what I heard,
Inseparable from what I felt:
At one with Love.
I sense perfection
And I know reality:
Life is eternal.
Oh understand those oft-pondered words
“In Him we live and move and have our being.”
That we will be together again.
“In him we live and move and have our being.” Acts 17:28 (to:)
Beautiful poem, Ken! Thank you for sharing it with us.
Thank you Ken for your very lovely Poem! It does me so good as I needed it right now.♡
Thank you dear Evan for this marvelous Spirit View today! The comments are so deep, enlightening, and healing. I love this post today and wish I could keep it forever. Do you happen to have an archive available of former posts?
I am most grateful to everyone who commentated today. Thank you all, each and every one!
Love, Love, Love!
Dear M R….if you go into the spiritview.net website you will find the heading archives plus much more …Bx
I would love move discussion about this important topic and be grateful for help already willingly and lovingly shared.
Mary Baker Eddy once delivered a sermon on “Life”, in which, among others, she talks also about the question if we will meet again after death has separated us from a loved one. This sermon was published in the C.S. Sentinel of February 2, 1918. A dear friend gave me this when I most needed it and maybe this will help others, too.
There, M.B. Eddy says :
“Some loving heart hath said, Shall we know each other there?”
and a few paragraphs later, she says :
“Yes, we shall know each other there; we shall love and be loved; we shall never lose our identity, but find it more and more in its order, beauty, and goodness. Men claim to know that pain is a fact, although it is unseen; they need to know that peace and bliss are greater facts and that this world is the veil of brighter glory that lies beyond it.”
Here is a link to the whole article :
https://sentinel.christianscience.com/shared/view/mxlsckfo3m?s=e
Dear Beatrice thank you for a wonderful read , especially as we have a full weekend to keep diving in deeply and earnestly. I should also add that I believe that all those who have passed on must feel and be benefitted from our continued Love for them…after all Love is eternally communicating and encompassing us all.Bx
You are very welcome, Barbara. ❤️
Dear Debra, Your experience is so comforting…Thank you so much for
sharing it with us..
I may have shared this before, but it is very awe-inspiring to me, so will
share again, here with this topic.
It was the first Christmas after my Mom had passed on to another realm of
being. She used to take care of [our] dog when we went down to visit his
family. I was extremely distraught because we had to board our dog at the
vet and she was not at all happy, being the first time ever to have to do that.
I also dreaded the visit, because they were very materialistic and just not
what to me, Christmas is all about. It began snowing as we rode along,
silently, and I was praying for a better outlook and in regard to the first time
feeling grief of my Mom’s passing. (I had originally felt a deep sense of peace
when she did pass. She had before that gone through a seemingly disturbing
event, where I am so grateful the hospice person had been there at the time
and had helped with that. I knew my Mom felt my love, as after that event,
even tho she couldn’t communicate, a tear came down her face when I held
her hand and told her I loved her, so I Knew she heard and felt God’s love and
wanted to share the way she could).
On that Christmas eve/day, I had never, ever seen this in winter before, nor have I
seen it since, but the sun came out and as snow was falling so beautifully and
gently, with it’s heavenly glittering flakes, the most Beautiful winter rainbow
appeared!! ~ as if my Mom was understanding my prayers and was reaffirming
that she was alright and present in her love and consolation. It was such a
comforting/awesome experience and I quietly absorbed this sharing sense that
she and God’s Love was showering down with. This wonderful blessing, with it’s
timing and healing message of spiritual support came just at the right time and
in it’s delivery and was such a divine intervention that I will always remember
and be grateful for. Divine Love Does meet every human need!
Thank you, Carol, for thoughts on my experience and for sharing yours! Rainbows are so beautiful and comforting, and it’s amazing how each of our individual needs are met in a way that makes sense to us so that we are absolutely assured of God’s presence and love. I think that is the main thing, just knowing and feeling we and our loved ones, and everyone are so totally loved and cared for, watched over and guided every step of the way.
Yes, Debra… Truly a glimpse of heaven beholding! The rainbow that
appeared over NYCity on Sept. 11th was a genuine gift from God…
a smile of His warmth, comfort and Love for everyone delighted
with such a display of comforting Beauty. So Divine!!
These comments take some study . Several yers ago I struggled with
The belief of death and a Christian Science Sentinel t the time gave a testimony of a 14 year old who had just lost his human father. .
His healing helped me
page 200 of Science and Health lines 9 to 13
“Life is,always has been,and always will be independent of
matter, for Life is God, and man is the idea of God,not formed
materially but spiritually, an,d not subject to decay and dust.”
This is Truth. many years of growth and progress have resulted.
Your input is so necessary I. This understanding Thanks Evan and all. I