What do you do when another assaults you verbally? Do you stay calm and cool and respond with poise, grace and understanding? Or do you get upset, tense and resentful?
Ideally, you stay calm and cool and bring healing to the situation. But if that feels like a challenge, here’s a visual that may help.
Picture a thick glass wall between you and them that is impenetrable by anything they say. They may yell and bark and threaten and try to intimidate, but everything that comes out of their mouth is like water blasting out of a hose. It hits the glass but instantly cascades to the ground and never reaches you. You are 100% safe and dry on the other side of that glass wall, untouched and undisturbed by anything they say.
The glass wall is symbolic for the Mind of Love that can never be reached by any evil thought.
As a child of God, you have this Mind of Love to enjoy and express toward others.
The Mind of Love is God’s Mind, God’s attitude toward everything. It sees good, understands the supremacy of Love, is self-empowered to uphold all good and wipe out all evil. It does not fear evil. It does not see power in evil. It does not cower in the face of evil. It remains strong, steadfast, unwavering in its conviction of right, and triumphant over any false accusation of the carnal mind.
It is not enjoyable to be falsely accused or harassed by an unfriendly neighbor. But if it happens, it doesn’t have to catch you off guard or throw you into a mental tailspin.
Remember the glass wall!
Let it protect you.
Stand on the other side of it and keep yourself out of the mental storm mortal mind is whipping up.
The storm will pass. But your spiritual mindedness will remain intact, in control, and at peace.
“When the enemy comes in like a flood, The Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him” Isaiah 59:19, NKJV.
Thank you! This is such a great idea that I ( dare say!) am almost looking forward to a time to try it out! It is such a great picture with such a wonderful backing to hold on to… That it is easy to imagine how switching to it, rather than becoming riled up… Will be a much improved way to offer myself defense over what I have hastily resorted to in the past! Thank you very much!
This is a very good idea. I used some ideas I found to protect my children when they were approached by a bully. Someone suggested I tell them two things: First, as the bully is yelling in your face imagine them speaking a language you don’t understand, such as Japanese. My daughter tried this and the bully got so frustrated she yelled, what are you deaf? The other was when you were in the presence of someone behaving badly toward you, imagine you are covered with a raincoat, big brim,etc. that protects you from onslaughts. My kids used to tell me they had to put ‘their raincoat’ on today. there were other ideas but these were the one they used. The situation requires more discussion but it kept them from getting sucked in.
I like the glass. A very good visual.
Thank you.
Also, in a sense, they have the glass, too. Their real selfhood is untouched by the barrage of distressed thoughts. It’s a lovable selfhood,
“The storm may roar without me, my heart may low be laid;/ but God is round about me, /and can I be dismayed?”
Can also be
“The storm may roar without him, his heart may low be laid;/ but God is round about him, /and can he be dismayed?” (Christian Science Hymnal, hymn 148)
Then the silent stand is also a prayerful, unselfed-loving stand.
There is so many more symbols that one can use as a wall of protection from harmful threats yet what Evan wrote is by far the best. I have been using for many years; “WHEN MORTAL MIND SPEAKS, NOTHING IS BEING SAID.”
Even thou, it does hurt somewhat when some one threatens me. I will put to the test in my case what was suggested in this blog. One thing it can’t do is there is no harm in trying.
God bless C/S and all those who sincerely use it for the betterment of all mankind and other living things.
Thanks so much for these helpful strategies in dealing with verbal assaults. I am thinking we can also use them when assaulted by multimedia advertising on TV, billboards, radio, movies etc. As we disarm the ideas–the enemy [that] comes in like a flood– we can assert the truth of our being that we are children of God armed with Peace, Love and a sound Mind. We all have a right and privilege to accept, think and live the ideas which are pure, healthful, loving and lift our view of mankind to higher thought models of excellence, wellness, freedom and respect.
I truly appreciate all the helpful and healing messages on this site and the sharing of ideas and comments of others! Have a beautiful day everyone!
Glass wall and the rest – good images. I like, “Be a target out of range.”
Today’s message lifted my heart. The first response from Chris put a big smile on my face! All the comments are so very helpful. The fact that we have this mountain of support (resting on the firm foundation of Christian Science) to turn to is a blessing for which I am very grateful. Thank you Evan and all!
This is such a helpful idea, because I have been having issues with a roommate, and I didn’t do anything. I have been trying to focus on my individuality as a child of God, and not material personalities that conflict, and this is a wonderful reminder that those material suggestions can never touch one part of my being. Thank you Evan.
Thank You Evan. There was a recent incident when another party was very arrogant towards me and I said “you know what, I love you”. This party was caught cold with this answer and they changed their mind immediately. This could have been sarcastic, but it worked.
While reading this, I joyfully saw it as a way to be protected from mortal mind’s persistent, insistent deceptions that can seem to wear one down at times. I love and appreciate this fresh, new way of responding to that and will be practicing it today. Thanks so much!
Hi Evan — This brought to mind a time when I was new in C.S. and working through a very difficult relationship. This person called me a vile name which stopped me cold for a moment but Mind, God, said, that’s not who I am, I’m the child of God and I was completely at peace just as though it was never said, it never touched me, or him and it never happened again. No words were spoken. So I saw it takes two to have a reaction. When you strike a match, the coming together of the two surfaces causes friction but knowing who we are, the lie of discord can go no farther. It has no believer. Thanks, loved all the wonderful comments.
Thanks, Evan, and all the Commenters! Something I learned in a 12-Step support group was to pray mentally to myself every day about someone I was having difficulty with: “I Love You, I Bless You and I Release You to Your Own Indwelling Presence of God.” This gives me the amazing ability to release the people I love, to detach myself from their pain, turmoil and suffering and to turn them over in Love to the same Power within that is guiding me! Try it! It works! There’s Only One Power and He/She is guiding and guarding everyone’s thought, Always!!
Love this and all of your blogs. Comments were great but especially like those of Bill, Pam W., and Bevi. After the lesson, this blog and Daily Lift are great starts for the day. So grateful for them.
This blog of Evans and all the comments have helped me to see any aggression as powerless to alarm me. The daily ,false suggestions which seem to pound on my thought will be as nothing as I utilize the ideas presented here. Thank you Evan and everyone who have offered comments today.
But let’s not have such an impenetrably, strong “wall of protection” that we fail to listen to “merited rebuke” (as per paragraph starting on S&H 8:28). Someone just might have a valid complaint that they aren’t expressing very well, but that nevertheless should be listened to and perhaps calmly responded to.
Yes, I think “Anonymous” has a point. Also, C.S. isn’t really about Visualization with the human mind. We really aren’t taught to visualize a wall around us or around anyone else. We are taught to lift our thought to the spiritual truth about ourselves and others being Children of God and then to let our Light Shine!
Glad. I didn’t miss this one! So many wonderful comments. The glass wall is a great visual.Many thanks.
Thank you! Great image — very useful visual.