In working out relationship problems, people sometimes report to me that they have a hard time seeing God’s lovable child in a neighbor who is spewing hatred, anger and resentment at them.
And I agree with them. I have a hard time seeing a lovable child in a person spouting anger and hatred at me, too.
But the demand to love one’s neighbor as oneself is still there.
So, how to do it?
Here’s one way:
Rather than looking at the troublemaker and trying to find God’s child, find God’s child and then look at your neighbor.
God didn’t create mortals. God created immortals. It’s impossible to find a heavenly immortal in a flawed mortal. But the neat thing is, when we approach a neighbor with a heavenly concept of man firmly planted in our thought, it brings out the better side of them and us. In most cases, more of God’s child surfaces in our communications with them. A bit more of heaven appears on earth, and relations improve.
What a beautiful way to go at this! I never thought of ‘beginning rightly’ 😉
Thank you so much again, Evan!
Thank you, Evan. Good thoughts. I work in a school with 5-8 yr olds. I have moments when I forget they are God’s perfect child. I will work on having my thoughts more prepared.
Great reminder Evan. Did I read on your blog perhaps, another idea is to think of the image of a beautiful little tot, one’s loving child during a sweet moment, then transfer that image to the so-called erroneous scene. Easier to love that.
After all, everyone was once (still is) a sweet, cuddly little tot.
Sancy
And to add to what Sancy says, everyone has parents who loved them when they were “sweet, cuddly little tot(s)” and still when, in the Parent/parents’ eyes, they remain “sweet, cuddly little tot(s).”
I found a couple citations in this week’s Christian Science Bible Lesson, GOD, that support your insight, Evan:
~ Immortals, or God’s children in divine Science, are one harmonious family; but mortals, or the “children of men” in material sense, are discordant and ofttimes false brethren. (Science and Health, p. 444)
~ When we realize that there is one Mind, the divine law of loving our neighbor as ourselves in unfolded; whereas a belief in many ruling minds hinders man’s normal drift towards the one Mind, one God, and leads human thought into opposite channels where selfishness reigns. (S&H 205)
Terrific Spirit View Evan. I never thought of seeing God’s child first and working from there. Instead I have done the opposite. No wonder it took me so long. I have accomplished seeing the right concept of man, but it took so long. I will now practice by first seeing man as expressing what God is, instead of thinking to myself, “How can I make this terrible person into expressing God’s loving goodness.