If you’re ever tempted to get too caught up into yourself and feeling like others are getting in your way, here’s a humbling point to recall:
“It is well to remember that the entire population of the universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others.”
~Andrew J. Holmes, Wisdom in Small Doses
This doesn’t mean you are not important. You are. But everyone else is too. We all have a significant role to play in the universal scheme of things.
As we drop the belief of many egos competing, and unite in the one Mind of Love we all share, we find common ground with our neighbor and discover ways to work together as a team. We find ways to hold hands rather than jab elbows.
I love your last line, Evan! “We find ways to hold hands rather than jab elbows.” 🙂 I awakened this morning with this correlative statement from Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy:
SH 340:23-29 One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, “Love thy neighbor as thyself;” annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry, — whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed.
SH 340:23
From Concord Express – A Christian Science Study Resource: The King James Version of the Bible and Mary Baker Eddy’s published writings
Thank you, Evan and Grace.
As I read the quote shared by Grace, I found it helpful to substitute any relationship that may seem troubling… “one infinite God, good, unifies [husbands and wives], constitutes the brotherhood of [mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, etc…], ends [resentment…], fulfills the scripture, ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself’…”
Patching up what may seem like universal friction and unhappiness is beyond us, but turning from the false picture of many egos to God’s loving presence covers the whole ground. Evan’s post turned me to Mary Baker Eddy’s definition of “I, or Ego” (Science and Health, p. 588), which includes this statement:
“There is only one I, or Us, but one divine Principle, or Mind, governing all existence; man and woman unchanged forever in their individual characters, even as numbers which never blend with each other, though they are governed by one Principle.”
And Evan’s point helps me shift from defensiveness –concern how others’ thoughts or actions affect me, to a more compassionate desire to acknowledge God’s tender love for each and all.
Thank you, Evan……Really Good! Sometimes I think one of the hardest things in life is to figure out how much to love myself and how much to love others. Especially if one is struggling with low self-esteem……the most important person to learn to love is oneself. Without a deep and precious Love for ourselves, as God’s pure and sweet children, it’s really hard to really love another or others. I really think it’s only when I Really Know Who I Am, that I can Really Know Who Others Are! Waddya think?
Bevi, what i think is that you are so right about the importance of loving oneself as God’s pure and sweet idea, the child of His care. I am too aware of “my” shortcomings and goof-ups…and often forget to put these in the category of mortal mis-concepts, etc. In truth, we can ONLY, do ONLY, reflect the one perfect flawless intelligence, God. With fresh endeavor I shall try to listen more closely to this perfect Mind, for even the tiniest directives!
Thank you for the reminder.
Thank you all for your comments.
Thank you, Evan, for SpiritView!
Thank you, God, for … well, Everything Good and Real!
Amen
Hi Bev,
And even more helpful, to really learn what Love is. When one understands Love in the first place, one will know how to love oneself and how to love one’s neighbor. It is one and the same.
Love is forgiving, compassionate, understanding, patient, kind, generous, full of goodwill, sees the good, beholds the good, brings out the good….in ourself and in others.
The quote from Grace is a favorite of mine. Do you think it might also apply to Democrats and Republicans?
Thank you, SpiritView Fan and Evan….for your Comments on my Comment! What you both said really helped to expand the idea of Love and Loving Self and Others! Another question: How do we deal with feelings of Sadness that seem to come up sometimes, due to “unfinished business” from the Past? I know C.S. isn’t into psychology and/or therapy, but I do feel it is important to allow those feelings to come up to be felt and then released, as they got pushed down and buried a long time ago and are now coming up to be Healed. Thanks again for all the Love and Wisdom expressed on this Blog!