There are too many shootings happening. In the United States, almost every week, a mad gunman opens fire on unsuspecting victims in the most unexpected of places. In schools, clubs, concerts, hospitals, newspaper offices, churches, and more, awful carnage has occurred. One begins to wonder if they are safe going anywhere in public anymore?
We are not helpless in the face of these acts of violence. There is something we can do that makes a positive difference. Our understanding and application of the power and presence of God can stop violence from happening. It can arrest the evil thought of the would-be shooter, neutralize it, and render him harmless.
There was a time when Mary Baker Eddy thwarted the attempt of an assassin about to kill her. The account reads, Eddy “…told of being in her room and having the impression that someone was coming to shoot her, and her first thought was to close and lock the door, but she left it open, and a man entered her room and pointed a revolver at her and she said to him, ‘You cannot shoot,’ and his arm became as if paralyzed; his revolver dropped to the floor and he said an oath, ‘I came to kill you.’ At that he left the room” (Mary Baker Eddy, Christian Healer, p. 231). Eddy’s understanding of Love’s mighty power saved her and that man from a terrible act of violence. We can do the same.
Wherever you go, know the power and presence of divine Love ahead of time. Know that Love governs you and everyone around you. Know that any person near you is in the presence of divine Love and feels that Love, is comforted by that Love and is mentally conformed to only the desires and intents of Love.
Know that in the surroundings of Love, there is no evil intent, no malicious desire, mental illness, uncontrolled anger, hidden plot to kill, or mad man walking around. There is only the child of God reflecting the nature of God, and filled with only goodwill and brotherly love toward one and all.
Let’s all be proactive with spiritual truth, and demonstrate communities that are safe to live in for one and all!
“If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter,
no evil will conquer you…For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go” Psalms 91:9-11, NLT.
This is a great article Evan, thank you for sharing so we can help protect our communities. Anna
Thank you for sharing this it can help us to protect our communities.
In all my decades of being an active Christian Scientist I’ve never thought to apply metaphysical ideas in quite this way. Those two paragraphs following Eddy’s experience are so fresh, clear, and powerful! The takeaway is similar to what Eddy says in My. p210 “and not only yourselves are safe, but all whom your thoughts rest upon are thereby benefited”. Wonderful way to think about this situation. Thank you so much!
Thank you, Evan. The right idea express the truth of divine selfless love.
Thank you so much, Evan, for teaching us how to wear our protective armour at all times.
Mrs Eddy teaches us to be proactive. She writes:: At all times and under all circumstances, overcome evil with good. Know thyself, and God will supply the wisdom and the occasion for a victory over evil. Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach you. The cement of a higher humanity will unite all interests in the one divinity.” S&H 571
As we unite in Love, we protect ourselves and those who would harm us.
Thank you Evan for the call! Very important!
Beautiful! Thank you!!
Lovely and powerful. Thank you Evan.
Ty, Evan & also, especially, Annepat I love Mrs Eddy’s “Clad in the panoply of Love…” Again love to all & please continue sharing.
Evan – so much gratitude for yet another powerful and beautiful post! Thank you so much for the endless sharing of good you do for all by covering such a variety of topics. I can only imagine all the love felt when all study this as it made me feel amazing just knowing we are always protected and surrounded by the power and presence of Divine Love. Happy Holidays!
Such an important message today. And it occurred to me that the same would be assassin that could take the form of someone wanting to kill others with a gun, is the same so called power that tries to insinuate itself into our lives and tell us we’re sick and can do nothing to help ourselves, and that God doesn’t love us. We need to be alert to the forms the liar takes.
Thank you, Evan. So helpful. Love meets every need and blesses all. You show us how to put this into practice with this blog today.
I spent some time thinking about evil last week. And thankfully gained some understanding that it really is unreal and we can stand up to it. Something that really stood out to me in the lesson last week in Section 3 citation 16, “you command the situation when you understand that mortal existence is a state of self-deception and not the truth of being.” The correlative Cedars notes for that lesson said “not a stitch of mortal existence is true. When we get that we are seeing through the trick.” That’s radical thinking. But it’s real thinking and we can understand that it’s reality. I also spent some time thinking about how evil is neither a person place or thing and that helped me in combating fear. We have been called to do this work. We have been chosen by God. Thank you Evan for guiding us to do this work.
I love this, Evan. I will meditate on this passage. I have fear of having family injured in cars – especially working on that fear over the holidays. Ever grateful.
God is where they are!
Beneath, around, above!
Providing, guarding,guiding…
Encircling them in Love.
Always…..
Evan,
Great article! You hit this one out of the ballpark. Thank you! 🙂
Very funny Kirsten – I, as a German learn a lot funny and interesting idioms here within SpiritView – thanks! If I think about it, I could imagin what you mean with your idiom – must laugh !
Hi Uta,
A homerun or well done. 🙂
Thank you for the pertinent statements of Truth! I’ve experienced the protection given us by divine Love, and felt safe in precarious circumstances. Thanks!
Powerful message. As Libby said, “Love meets every need and blesses all. You show us how to put this into practice with this blog today.” Thank you.
Thank you, Evan, that you remind us how to pray in these times for us and our brothers and sisters out there …
Also in German cities shootings and the like occur , but not so much as we watch in our news, it occurs in the US. My favorite prayer in all these instances is, to know that there is only o n e Law, the Law of allmighty God which rules everything with endless Love, the healing Love of the everpresent Christ, the divine idea of God, Truth!
I do everything by car – I love driving by car – and everytime before I start the car engine, I pray that …and the whole journey God`s Love is leading us a l l – drivers and passengers … and I stick to that assuring truth the whole time.
And then I pray that God is on my drivers seat, having total control over the whole traffic (including all people) and every situation coming up. And so one day I drove in a street where a traffic sign said to slow down the speed because there is a senior home. It was very dark late evening. Suddenly I noticed an elderly woman who was swaying on the street at the side. I noticed her in the dark and could drive round her at the right time. Gladly I said loud – thank you dear God that you protected this lady and me -.
But also very important is, to study each morning the weekly Bible lesson from the CS Quarterly. That has exactly the protecting and blessing thoughts for us for the whole day. I am very grateful for our weekly lesson sermon – our daily spiritual food!
Thanks dear commenters for all your loving and interesting comments, helpful ! 🙂
And thank you so much, Evan for your today`s SpiritView which is so inspiring, comfortng and full of Love, I feel wrapped up in divine Love protecting us and all! I love the comforting words of Psalms 91!