CAST the beam out of your own eye
There are three girls I work with who complain about everything. Literally. There are too many people working, there are not enough people working, the menus aren’t in order, the food is taking too long. Their first response to any situation is to find what’s wrong with it and make everyone else aware.
This constant complaining is beginning to wear on me. It’s making a fun job into something that can, at times, create quite the amount of negative energy.
When pondering how I could cast the beam from my eye, I quickly found that this was the perfect starting place.
What I’m going to do is, whenever I begin to feel a negative emotion or judgment building within me toward those girls (or anyone else for that matter) I’m going to take a step back and examine it. I am going ask myself what divine qualities can I recognize in this person? Also, do I sometimes do the same thing myself?
I’m going to “purify my own eye” and then, if it seems like the correct action, I’ll speak to that person in private, lovingly, to find a way we can both grow from the situation.
Jesus’ full instruction is: “First, take the log out of your own eye. Then you can see how to take the speck out of your friend’s eye.” Matthew 7:5 (CEV) This is clearly a two-part instruction. We’re supposed to be helping others see clearly too - but only after purification has made us the right messenger.
Now that’s a RADICAL ACT. Join me if you will!
Justin Belote, June 2012
Related Bible citations
Matthew 7:5 Luke 6:42
Related songs, stories & reviews
Erasing 0ur inner graffiti by LeMeice Harding
Share Radical Acts
Download the flyer
Topics: Communication
I learned a valuable and lasting lesson when I needed to “cast the beam out of my own eye.”
I was employed as an aide at a Christian Science nursing facility. Oftentimes I had to work with a nurse I just didn’t like. She seemed sullen, gruff and rather unpleasant – even around the residents. Needless to say, I didn’t like working with her – which really was a problem because we were often the only two staffers on duty during the late-night shift.
Fortunately, I had the God-given sense to realize that MY thoughts were amiss, and that I (not the nurse) was in need of a healing. I knew I needed to correct my erroneous thoughts about her and “behold the perfect man” of God’s creating. I sure didn’t want to be guilty of mental malpractice toward her or anyone by being so critical.
I worked a lot with the Bible verse about removing the beam from my own eye – my harsh judgement
was like a beam making me blind to all her goodness. I also worked with the Bible verse, “Judge not lest ye be judged.”Thankfully, it wasn’t long until I began to wonder how I could have ever disliked her. I realized she had a wonderful sense of humor (I just didn’t get it before), and she was extremely kind and caring to the guests. She wasn’t transformed (she didn’t need to be), but my perception of her was, and we had great fun working together.
This healing has helped me immensely! For the most part, believe it or not, I like (and try very hard to love) everyone now – after all, if God loves them, I should at least be able to like them – remembering… who am I to judge/criticize someone else? We don’t have to be best friends, but I try to remember that each and every one of us is a child of God and we are all in this together working God’s purpose out.
I don’t worry about other people liking me either. I assume they do because I like them. Bottom line, what really matters is that God loves all of us.
Judging others is a heavy burden that is no fun at all! Seeing the good in others results in so much more happiness, and the more we practice it, the easier it becomes because Godly qualities are ALWAYS there. Sometimes people aren’t even aware of their own goodness, so we can point it out – another opportunity to practice a radical act!
What a beautiful story! I’ll be sharing it with several friends who are asking to have their experience transformed in similar ways. Thank you!
I’ve been thinking about the lens of the “eye” in this Radical Act. Last summer we visited the San Simeon lighthouse on the central coast of California. They talked a lot about cleaning the lens so the light could shine out. Wouldn’t casting the beam out of our eye be cleaning the lens of material, limited thinking? I’ve heard it said that matter is a limited perception of spiritual reality.
My brother was born angry. He would arch his back so you couldn’t hug him. He’d make a fist and glare at you. Forget regular school. He has children now, and I wanted to help them. I called and talked with their Sunday School teacher, and I quickly told her how my brother was the black sheep in the family and how worried we were about his kids. This teacher said quietly, God doesn’t have any black sheep in His family.
It was like my lens was cleaned. Doused. I suddenly saw my brother as God sees him. I realized my earlier prayers and efforts to help were based on a fuzzy, incorrect view of him. With clean lenses I clearly saw a rainbow of excellent qualities in him.
The dark shadow of limiting my brother was thrown out of my thinking. I can’t believe I bought into that lie about him ever. My beam, or log was cast out. Light can’t go through wood. And wow! Now I see how much God loves my brother! God is taking care of him and his children so thoroughly that not a speck of need is overlooked. So much good has come into their lives and mine recently. The real pot of gold is the warm love we are feeling for each other. Thank you Sunday School lighthouse keeper.
Much enjoying the challenge of focusing on a radical act per day. Yesterday morning (Sunday) there was the usual Sunday Worship on BBC radio http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnds but this time it was a bit different - Canon Mark Oakley, from St Paul’s Cathedral, exploring ‘the church’s loyalty to the past and relevance to the future’. Already thinking along the lines of Radical Acts, I pricked up my ears when he said, ”At a time when the Church undergoes some difficult debates and is often looked on with puzzlement or anger for its compromises and self-preserving caution, it is as if a spiritually hungry society, seriously in search for authenticity and wisdom, finds the Church just too corporate, modelled as a chaplaincy to a disappearing world rather than on the reckless generosity and heretical, outspoken love seen in Jesus Christ” particularly, ’the reckless generosity and heretical, outspoken love seen in Jesus Christ’.
So, today’s “take the beam out of my own eye” is a story failing at yesterday’s challenge to ‘love an undesirable’.
I went to an event and really had to get prayed up to even want to go to. I got to a lovely heart place of “we are all the children of God playing and growing together” (a carryover from Day One’s – Be Childlike) and went into the venue feeling quite eager to be there.
The event included round-table dialogue and there was a person at my table who just launched into criticism. He wouldn’t even give his name when we introduced ourselves and began the interaction with a slew of negatives in the spirit of “you people are cold, you people don’t care, you people….” Another in the group tried to shut him down which just heightened the tension and volume. I actually did think of the day’s radical demand but in that moment, I couldn’t get there, I just wished he’d go away. No wonder people were cold to him. Everyone was uncomfortable and the topic focus had derailed before it even got going.
But suddenly, the woman sitting next to this man ever so gently in both her tone and body language just leaned in to calm him, reassuring him softly that she heard him and could understand how he felt. And he melted immediately. It wasn’t her words. I could sense her tenderness towards him. His tone softened and he began to contribute constructive ideas.
How could I have not seen that he was feeling like an outcast? That he was feeling hurt, not by us at the table, per se, but nonetheless. The demand of Mary Baker Eddy that we learn to bind up the broken hearted was not lost on me. The woman sitting next to this man modeled it beautifully.
The good news is that I did bear witness to “the befriending” then and there and later as I pondered it, trying not to beat myself up over my own lackluster response, I let myself just feel humbled, and asked God to help me do better next time. Which must mean a beam’s been dislodged…..and maybe I won’t even see a Pharisee tomorrow :)
I love that you say, “It wasn’t her words.” St. Francis of Assisi taught, “Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary use words.”
Thank you for sharing this story, Tricia.
Nina, your comment on this beautiful and meaningful experience is in line with something I’ve been thinking about recently – “Learn to be, and by being heal”. No words required.
This is a tough one for me. I can see faults in others before I can see them in myself. How do you all get around that?
Casting the beam out — I remember reading a post here by someone who was doubting their own worth — that can sometimes be my ‘beam’, other times, the ‘beam’ of judgement of others. This experience had both!
In thinking about how others treat us, sometimes we have to REFUSE to be caught up in our dream. And more and more I am seeing it is a dream — and that it is my own dream. I am the only one who can wake out of my dream.
When I first went back to college after being divorced, I was embarrassingly and publicly stood up. It was pretty much my first date after the divorce, so super-devastating.
I had prayed so much during the divorce and heart-ache, that the most natural thing to do was pray, but it hurt a lot. And it seemed to be part of a pattern… that was my part of the dream. What came to me though, to address it mentally was in the spirit of this from Mrs. Eddy:
SH 167:30-31″Only through radical reliance on Truth can scientific healing power be realized.”
I decided to RADICALLY rely on my belief in God as Love, and refuse to believe how I seemed to be treated. I realized that it was MY thought that could change. I couldn’t change anyone else’s thought.
So that’s what I did. I RADICALLY refused to believe that God would create anyone who would mistreat me or anyone else. That I was loved by God, and He would and was showing me. And I really stuck with it. It felt a bit stupid (but hey, it was just me and God, so no one knew what I was thinking), and I stuck with it.
Within a few hours I got a 4-page letter from the person who stood me up — apologizing for mistreating me. We ended up friends, but it helped me realize even more that my thought was the determining factor.
I realized I could take hold of my experience by how I was thinking, not what other people seemed to be doing to me. It really changed my life — it was such a radical shift with such radical results.
Sometimes I’m still tempted to feel sorry for myself in terms of whatever error/evil/mortal mind is throwing at me about people, circumstances, etc., but ANYTHING negative is not true of God. If it’s not true of God, it is not true of His creation. — and I can wake up from that dream.
I’ve learned we are the only ones who can change our experience. The dream we each dream of not being God’s — we can awaken from now. Takes a radical stand sometimes, but it’s worth it.
By the way, this is Kate D.
Thank you so much Kate! This is really helpful. it reminds me of MBE’s statement about how, ‘the rich in Spirit help the poor in one grand brotherhood…’ when someone doesn’t seem to have the spiritual strength to claim their inherent goodness, we can, and vice versa,… Ties in with washing one another’s feet too! No one higher or lower than another, all in mutual service to revealing the untarnished goodness of their fellow travelers :))… Not stupid at all!
Just wanted to chime in with a late thank you for this post, Kate. The ideas of worth and value, for ourselves and others, are so important. Thanks for illustrating the tangible nature of your healing insights! Hope to hear more stories and illuminations from you :-)
Kate ~ I just found this post today but it was really helpful to me. Breaking the pattern with the radical application of Truth. I needed that. Patterns seem so impossible to get past sometimes. It’s like repeatedly tripping over things you don’t even see and then wondering why you’re on the ground. I’m going to try the ideas you shared here. Thanks!
The other day I got really annoyed at what I saw as an uneducated and self-righteous political posting on Facebook. Certainly there have been plenty of these sorts of things floating around in recent weeks, but what really bugged me about this one – and had been really bothering me about some others – was that the individual was using their religion (in these cases, Christian Science, which I also practice) to back up their claims. How dare they use timeless, healing truths to provide a foundation for this divisive chatter?
I spent a little while debating whether or not to email them, or post some good retort under the original post. However, I decided to stick with my individual policy of non-engagement as far as political things go and resolved to just ignore their postings from here on.
And then I remembered this Radical Act. All that time I had spent getting frustrated with these individuals – was that sitting in a rut of anger somehow less divisive than their words? The entirety of my professional healing practice is based on the fact that God is the only cause…so how could I justify this collection of words and those profile pictures becoming causes for me to get angry about? I realized that instead of turning to some habit or reaction, I could simply turn to God and yield to the omnipotence of Her nature.
The beautiful thing about this Act is, that it isn’t really about violently hitting yourself in the head until that beam falls out of your face. It isn’t about guilt trips, and it also isn’t about self-congratulatory proclamations. It’s about persisting in acknowledging grace that doesn’t leave ANYONE out – not me, not you, not that guy or gal posting that stuff online. It’s a commitment to loving God so much that all I’d WANT to see is how He sees…and I can’t very well see His work if I’m fascinated by those images of division. I realized that I’m allowed to simply let it go, and from that heavenly, present pasture (spoken of in the 23rd Psalm) I can just love to see what it is that I’m going to do, being the effect of God (as we all are!).
Do I have to agree with those postings? Certainly not. And perhaps an email or prayerfully-considered post would be an appropriate response at some point, to some comment. There’s no ritual to follow. But I’m really excited to keep seeing how this persistence in living gracefully will keep illuminating opportunities to see what God sees – including myself – with no allowance for limits of any kind.
My mother-in-law was a chain smoker. I hated it. I hated the smoke, I hated the way my clothes smelled every time I left her house, and I even hated the thought that what she was doing could harm me physically.
She smoked for over 40 years. And she tried to quit–plenty of times. It never worked.
I was complaining about the smoke smell to a friend who was also a Christian Scientist. He asked, “Is the smoke toxic or is your reaction to it toxic?” Ah ha….
I loved my mother-in-law. In some fundamental ways, we were the same. I didn’t want to have toxic feelings about her. And in that moment, I saw that it was completely within my control not to.
I CAST the beam out of my own eye. I just loved her and I didn’t judge her or mentally rebel at the smoke anymore.
Within a day or two, two things happened. Her granddaughter said, “Nanny, can you please stop smoking?” Her childlike innocence and love struck a chord. My mother-in-law got the patch (something she’d tried before…to no avail) and quit smoking.
There’s a nice epilogue to this experience too. A year later, my mother-in-law had to have surgery for colon cancer. The doctor said two things: a.) it’s a good thing you quit smoking when you did, and b.) your lungs don’t show any sign of having been a smoker.
Hi, Amy!
Thank you SO much for your contribution! It has really helped me gain control over my thoughts while out and about in the city. Whether it’s on my university’s campus, or having fun with friends on a Friday night, thinking about your words of wisdom, yielded from Divine Love, and the healing impact your prayers had in your relationship with your mother-in-law, have really helped!
Thanks so much for sharing this experience Amy! I love that the realization that it was only the reaction that was toxic, not the smoke, adjusted things not only for you but helped dissolve the belief of a reaction to the smoke in her! Great food for thought.
This is so wonderful, Amy! Thanks for sharing!
Since June of 2001, I needed help. At first it started with one Nurse Aide, then as the years came, I needed more help, six Aides to be exact, then it went down to four, as it is now. All these Aides are dedicated to me to see that I am cared for. They all have Cell Phones which ring constantly. The phones bother me, since it’s so hard to study Christian Science, but I really have to be grateful for these Aides are inabiling me to stay in my own home instead of an institutional facility, where I would never get such care. Also they argue a lot amongst themselves, but with the help of prayer as taught in C/S, I have made remarkable strides in demonstrating harmony. My thought now is to understand that they here all these hours for me, I should allow them there phone calls, for they do a surperp job.
Hi Tobias,
One thing that is really good to consider is how the love you embody in your consciousness towards the nurses can create a healing atmosphere where they don’t feel the need to argue amongst themselves. And, as their desire to bicker back and forth fades away, the love present in their work environment can transcend into their daily lives and relationships as well. Your practice of Christian Science is a gift, one in which you can freely give on a daily basis to these individuals who probably so greatly need your love and care. “What blesses one…” undoubtedly “blesses all”. ;)
Hey Tobias, if you haven’t seen it yet, check out Julia Wade’s “A Story in 3 Radical Acts” on the LOVE your neighbor page. New Yorkers squished into a giant apartment building find harmony in close quarters. August 1, 2, and 3. http://time4thinkers.com/11-love-your-neighbor-as-yourself/
Two of Julia’s stories concern jarring noise, like your Aides’ ringing phones. As you CAST the beam out of your own eye — so sweet — I look forward to hearing about the new harmony you all find together!
Dear Tobias,
Greetings and salutations.
I too wonder if there is a proper etiquette for mobile telephone use. I find my own use of technological devices out of control at times. Lately I’ve been trying to silence them and listen for God’s messages first. I am not always successful.
One summer I had the privilege of being trained as a nurse’s aide. That training has meant so much to me throughout my life, especially as I have established a home and have been a mother.
But what I think about most often is how much the people I cared for taught me. That summer my life was chaotic. I was far from home. The people I cared for helped me to feel like I belonged in the world. That I had a meaningful purpose. And they calmed me down. The best Fourth of July I have ever had was not out watching fireworks. It was when it was my turn to be at the side of a dear person. A dear friend.
She taught me true grace.
I appreciate the gentility in your writings. You also, are teaching me a lot.
Thank you.
Just discovered this topic and found it is exactly what I need to handle a situation in my children’s choir similar to that of the three girls described in the starting article. Thank You so much!
That’s awesome Annette! So glad you’re here with us!
I just love your joy spilling out of your post. Thank you for sharing that enthusiasm. You know, every time we give thanks, we illuminate the day for someone else – and being here on this forum you can sure feel that community fire, blazing away.
I hope you’ll continue to share your stories and insights from living these Radical Acts! If its appropriate to do so, I’d love to hear more about this story in progress :-)
Thanks again for chiming in – looking forward to hearing more from you!
Hi everybody,
having had the first children’s choir rehearsal after the fall vacation, I thought I could give a brief record. To me it is important that I prepared for this rehearsal by entertaining valuing thoughts about a certain boy. Interestingly enough, he was quite well-behaved this time, but there was another girl who stroke my attention through impudent behaviour. I’m glad to be able to say that I could react in a calm way, but I was reminded of my own task to really cast the beam out of my own eye – instead of seeing these two kids (both are 8 years old and talented singers!) as self-centered, mean and ignorant, I’m going to put even more effort on seeing their good qualities as God’s children. – By the way: The same day, I also had a lesson with the group of the younger kids (6/7). Since more than one year, there has been a little boy attending whose behaviour was not only frightening the other kids, but also leaving me feeling totally helpless one day. After having talked with his mother, we decided that he should stop visiting the choir for a few weeks. It was then that a Christian Science practitioner encouraged me not to give up this little one. So when he was allowed to join the group again and he entered the room, I quickly exchanged the thought “Oh no, not him again” for “And here is God’s beloved child coming!” – To make a long story short: Today there are no more problems with that boy. Last wednesday I gratefully recognized him sitting beneath the girl who used to be most afraid of him – as if they had always been good friends – he has found his place in the group, and he even explained to a strange-behaving newcomer: “We’ve got rules here!”
A verse from Jesus’ healing ministry that conveys the theme of this Radical Act perfectly concerns the passage where the adulteress woman is brought before Jesus by a group of men, tempting Jesus to stone her. Sensing their eagerness to act with malicious intent, Jesus’ replies thus: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” (John 8:7).
In Science and Health, Mary Baker Eddy adds another light on this dimension, saying, “A sinner is afraid to cast the first stone” (447:30). If the men who eagerly taunted Jesus to cast the first stone, were, in actuality, the ones afraid to cast the first stone, couldn’t this also point to our own fear that we struggle with when we are apt to remove the spotlight from our inadequacies and judge others quickly? It’s as if it is easier to look to others and point out their faults (whether audibly or not) than it is for us to uncover our own less desirable traits. Adding another dimension to the subject, Mary Baker Eddy goes on to further say, “to assume that there are no claims of evil and yet to indulge them, is a moral offence. Blindness and self-righteousness cling fast to iniquity” (447: 32-3). How often do we criticize or condemn others, only to sink further into the pit of iniquity (condemnation of others and self-righteous thinking)? It’s as if one critical thought leads to another, and then another, until our critical thoughts of others spiral out of control. To compound the situation, the more we allow self-righteous thinking to enter, the more we view our criticism of others as perfectly justifiable. Or, the more self-righteous we are in our thinking, the more critical we become of others, thus blinding us to our own inadequacies and preventing spiritual growth from occurring. What could be a bigger moral offense than to indulge erroneous thinking about other children of God, and to justify ourselves in doing so? Aren’t we all of the same father, the same mother, Divine Love? It is only our own erroneous thinking, operating out of personal ego, self-will, self-justification, whether we are aware of it or not, that would seek to illuminate the speck of dirt present in another whilst blinding us to our faults.
How healing it would be for the world if we realized the strength we possess as children of God, and removed our sense of fear about being inadequate, so that we can start viewing others as God sees them- as more than human faults!
I experienced the truth of this post when I was getting eaten up by criticism of someone else. It was as if I was struggling with these self-righteous thoughts, but partly indulging them at the same time.
Finally, enough was enough, and I had went into a deep prayer. Then, with my eyes closed, I just started speaking aloud what God was giving me, what I was supplied with, and what goodness I saw in this situation. It went on for quite a while – and it felt AMAZING.
After this I felt the strength and clarity to write an email to this person and later call them and exchange a really beautiful conversation. It felt so right to get it all out and just be real.
We’re all real. No need to hide it.
I’d like to share one of the biggest things I’ve learned: these acts do not exist in a vacuum. They are not things where I can legitimately say “Today I’m doing ____” and ignore the others. At times, along the way of trying to live the Radical Act, “Feed the Hungry,” I have to cast the beam out of my own eye. For example:
The other day, while in a meeting with the head chaplain for the local Police Department, we were talking about our varying degrees of success in reaching out in ecumenical conversation. I was sharing how I’d had hardly any success in reaching out, and my friend, the chaplain I was meeting with, told me that it is just is not seen as acceptable (by some adherents of some faith groups) to associate meaningfully with those of differing beliefs. My initial reaction was disdain and elitism: “Those strange people – why don’t they understand that God is Love? Why don’t they do what Jesus did and hang out with all?”
But isn’t that just a different iteration of the exact same sentiment I am ‘righteously’ rebelling against? They won’t meet with me, I react by viewing them as people who I wouldn’t want to meet anyways. If I had discovered that that person was actually sitting right behind me in the coffee shop, would I have been able to say hello and treat them with respect?
And in the meantime, the one thing amidst all this that I am NOT doing, is living any Radical Acts – let alone loving God and God’s idea.
All this took a little while to explain, but I’m grateful to say that I’ve been benefitting a lot from making these Acts a habit, and not just a mantra to eventually return to. Right as I caught myself reacting to the exclusive ideas of those other folks, I rejoiced for this opportunity to cast the beam out of my own eye. I didn’t have some specific prayer or affirmation that I mentally launched into; I just let myself let go of that reaction and dive full-bore into my gratitude for the enriching conversation I was engaged in, for the pastor who was meeting with me, and for our shared love for God and our community. I didn’t need to get into some battle to cast that beam of self-righteousness out; I just needed to persist in seeing how I could live these Radical Acts. This whole conversation had sprung out of my desire to support my community in “Feeding the Hungry…” and even though I hadn’t yet really done that, I was really grateful to see how the whole journey along the will be filled with blessings.
I’ll share more soon – these Radical Acts has opened up many amazing doors for me and I’m so grateful for these opportunities to share, and to hear all y’all’s healing stories and insights :-)
John, I’ve had the same challenge lately with a dear, old friend who says harsh things about people whose religious beliefs differ from hers. The more different the beliefs, the harsher the comments. I’ve realized that doctrinal differences make her feel frightened. Cultural differences too. It’s as if “outsiders” are all, to some degree, diabolical.
When you really start thinking about “cast the beam” it becomes a hall of mirrors. Her fear of me. My fear of her, and others, that seems to block my love for them. The only way to go is up — to the Love that casts out all fear. I may not be that radical yet . . . but I promise I’m working on it!
this is beautiful, Nina! I can feel a lot of gratitude here, manifested through a desire to be better, to be a better healer, a better friend, a better citizen of the world. With this at the helm of thought, the only way you can go is up!
I wanted to share a bit of how this RA has brought my sense of “vision” to life. It’s based on an experience I had some years ago that I would burden you with here. But, it has to do with how a “beam” of light affects vision.
To look at something from the perspective of light shining “on” it, includes the possibility of darkness and shadows. Either we are in front of the light, and then we cast a shadow on the object, or the object stands between us, and the light, and then we are in the darkness ourselves because of the shadow that is cast on us.
But, if the light is “in us” and we are casting that beam of light out of our own eyes…radiantly, we are seeing out from the perspective of God (as light) and every where we look, we see clearly, we see what is revealed by that light within us. There are no mirages, shadows…no darkness…anywhere we look. In every direction we turn…we see things illuminated.
When Love fills us completely, and we are casting that light of Love on everything, and everyone, all is light…there is no night there.
That’s what I am seeing tonight…so blessed by letting this RA burrow itself deeply (and every more deeply) into my being.
much love, k.
The other night I had an opportunity to practice this radical act as I was doing chores. Being trash night, I had taken out the trash from the kitchen and was going to put a new liner in but my mother had forgotten to get more liners, even though I told her last week that we were out. Immediately I got frustrated and thought about how much I hate it when I ask someone to do something and they don’t follow through. I then remembered the radical act I’ve been thinking about all week and asked myself if there was any time that someone had asked something of me that I had not done yet. I realized that I was supposed to have my room clean a few nights ago and had been procrastinating it for a while. I realized that this was God’s way of letting me express the golden rule in doing something asked of me in the same way I would want someone else to do something asked of them. Little examples like this have been cropping up all week and I am so grateful to have had this idea of “casting the beam” in my mind as I go through my day. :)
Such a perfect example of this Radical Act!
Okay, so this Radical Act has been quite the “show stopper” this summer…and I mean that in the most literal (and figurative) terms.
My symbol for this radical act was the image of pointing a finger at someone. And we all know the old adage, “When you point a finger at someone, three more are pointing back at you.”
Okay, so I accepted that as a gift. Whenever I felt myself “pointing a finger” at someone else (mentally or verbally) I claimed that this was only God’s love for me, giving me an awareness of what I needed to see in myself that either needed correcting (thank you God), or celebrating.
What started happening (after a bit of a harsh wake up call about what I was “aware” of in others…and therefore myself) was that I became more interested in seeing the best in others (and calling attention to that) than spending time pointing fingers at ANYONE’s (another’s or my own) weaknesses, failings, etc.
Casting the beam out of my own eye started with acknowledging how often I was willing to be “aware” of the beam in another’s eye. As painful as it was, it has been a GREAT awakening!!! And for some reason, I’m seeing more clearly than ever before…I guess that’s what happens when you go from having beams in your eyes, to letting your eyes be beams of light that illuminate another’s gifts….rather than poke at their weaknesses.
love, k.
So today I was having a conversation with a friend of mine and it became a disagreement about who was right. After awhile of “yes” “no” “yes” “no” I realized that I needed to cast the beam out of my own eye and see things from his perspective. Instead of responding by forcing my opinion, I told him i understood where they were coming from and this is how I feel about it. The calm and peaceful way I responded totally changed the mood of the conversation and it became deeper and more meaningful.
Hey everyone! We’re Nicole and Meredith and we’ve decided to pick 1 radical act to work on every 2 weeks. These first two weeks, we picked “cast the beam out of your own eye”. We will post our stories here on Radical Acts, as well as blog about them on our tumblr, http://www.radicalactscs.tumblr.com; we’re really excited! We learned about Radical Acts at the TMC Youth summit that was held at CedarS CampS this past weekend, and can’t wait to be radical actors all the time.
We’re so excited to have you here! You’ll inspire us all to be radical actors ALL THE TIME!
Thanks Nina!! It was so much fun to meet you at the summit and learn all about radical acts. We are both so excited for this and know that this is going to be the best year ever. Thanks for introducing us to this awesome idea!!
Very good… needed to read this today as I struggle with the same situation with family members. Love to see all the comments too.
I love this Radical Acts story: http://time4thinkers.com/erasing-our-inner-graffiti/
The thing about CS is that you see that change is all up to you (ugh — that’s hard!), but it’s also good — it’s all up to you so it’s within your control (or God’s rather!).
A couple weeks ago the word obstinate came to me. I looked it up:
obstinate – tenaciously unwilling or marked by tenacious unwillingness to yield.
The next thing that occurred to me was that the presentation of obstinacy, wherever it appears, is a request for the understanding of the control of perfect love…. and that it is totally irrelevant where it appears to be coming from and therefore has no dynamics.. I really saw this fact and had no sense of relating it to anyone or any situation. I paused and had a few moments of silent willingness & surrender of any obstinacy I felt. Moments later the first of the summer rain came pouring down and I felt it as: mercy, purity, love, life, washing everything clean, nourishing and uplifting the thirsty grateful earth! I got the message :))
The next week someone who had been really nasty to me told me she’d had a realization about seeing and letting go of resistance… Ever since, there has been pure love and joy and tenderness reflected in her face. How awesome that we’re never working anything out with anyone else! Love moves in all at the same time, washing us clean so we can see Love’s radiant face shining everywhere!
Patricia, thank you for your radically honest sharing. It’s never anyone else, is it? It’s always our own perspective. So why struggle? Why resist? Resist what?
I have been cherishing the importance of development in Christian Science recently. That we have to develop our sense of Life, our awareness and joy, our sense of Truth, our honesty and moral courage, and our sense of Love, our selfless living and openness to movement by the Spirit.
The development is not a breeze. It is a process of growth. How grateful we can be for the growth that reveals the truth of loving our neighbor as ourself!
I’ve been at camp for the last few weeks, so I’ve been a bit out of touch…but what a joy it’s been to catch up with this “Radical Act” and read all of these amazing stories.
As I’ve considered this particular demand for deeper spiritual integrity and grace, I’ve been turning to a Phillips Brooks quote that Mrs. Eddy once wrote beneath: “The secret of my life, is in the above.”
It reads (and can be found in the frontispiece of “Christian Healer” and in the notes section of the same):
“God has not given us vast learning
to solve all the problems,
or unfailing wisdom
to direct all the wanderings of our brothers’ lives;
but He has given to every one of us
the power to be spiritual,
and by our spirituality to lift and enlarge
and enlighten the lives we touch.”
- Phillips Brooks
This statement brings me “up short” whenever I think I have a perspective on righting someone else’s ship, when all I ever have the power to “do” is to “be spiritual”
In thinking about this “power” recently, I have been returning over and over again to Mrs. Eddy’s definitions of “Spriitual” and “Moral” as found on page 115/116 of Science and Health:
“Spiritual. Wisdom, purity, spiritual understanding, spiritual power, love, health, holiness.”
“Moral. Humanity, honesty, affection, compassion, hope, faith, meekness, temperance.”
What a glorious gift these guideposts are in helping each of us to: “Ask yourself. Am I living the life that approaches the supreme good? Am I demonstrating the healing power of Truth and Love?” (S&H page 496)
It is not ours (if we wish to “progress most rapidly in the understanding of Christian Science”) to ask others…but only ourselves.
Then all we have to do is focus on our own power to “BE spiritual, and by our spirituality to lift, and enlarge, and enlighten the lives we touch.” To BE spiritual. Not to tell someone else how to be spiritual, or question whether they are being spiritual…but to BE it ourselves.
Our own “Moral.” courage…the courage to be humane, honest, affectionate, compassionate, hopeful, faithful, meek, and temperate…will allow us to focus on the Sovereignty of the kingdom of heaven within each of our fellow beings, and thereby strengthen our understanding (our ability to BE understanding of one another) and lead to a deeper and more unshakeable trust in God’s power to maintain the integrity and beauty of His universe.
This has become such a peaceful place for me…and when I am most effectively radiating this confident trust in Love’s government of her own universe…this radiant trust, this love for humanity expels the mote from my own eye like water pouring out in a sweeter rush of vision from within…and then my sight is so clear that I can’t even FIND a mote in my brother’s eye.
But I am learning that this takes such a radical, on-your-toes awareness, and discipline….whew….who knew!?!?
I recently arrived back in the United States from Europe. While there my best friend and I found ourselves in many situations that were foreign to us. While in Germany we ended up without a ride for about an hour and a half in the dark without any knowledge of our location and on the outskirts of the city. This made me very nervous and I felt powerless. I immediately whipped out a journal that I had been documenting our trip with and begin singing a few hymns which my mom had typed up and made into a travel size hymnal. I felt extremely dorky. The girls I were with were complaining about bugs and how long it would be until we found a ride but I was steadfast in my reading quietly and at times aloud. Then a car pulled up and a guy wanted us to get in. Only one of us spoke german and I was not one of them so my fear was much more intensified so I didnt even look up from my hymns. I just read and read and read. The man ended up leaving but another one started walking our direction. It was late and I was fearful.
I realized that I couldnt just read these hymns and feel safe. I had to cast the beam out of my eye and really see what the words meant and the reality of the situation. I was protected by God and as I begin to read the hymns I felt a calm sense come over my mental and physical being. About 30 seconds later our car pulled up, we jumped inside and were transported safely home.
I chose to focus on this radical act, because I am trying to catch my judgmental thoughts. This will be the perfect way to do that. When I judge someone, then I will turn back to my own thinking and acting to see if that judgement fits me as well. Then work on myself.
The other night I was in my bedroom with my daughter when I heard a crash on the other side of the room. I asked her what had fallen and she said I don’t know I can’t see anything. I trusted her.
Later after she’d gone to her own room and was fast asleep, I leaned over the edge of my bed and saw that a favorite figurine (one of a set of 3) had broken to smithereens.
I was mad. Had she seen it, but didn’t want to tell me? Now the set was ruined! I even thought about waking her up to ask her about it. Ridiculous I know.
But then I saw how the ugliness was in my heart, not in the broken object. It was just a thing after all. Who cares?
It’s a minor Radical Act, but it meant something to me. It meant that I didn’t give into anger and something stupid like a broken figurine didn’t come between me and my daughter, even just a little.
Mimi, this “minor Radical Act”, as you called it, has MAJOR radical implications long-term. That mental shift in realizing that an object cannot possess ugliness (or beauty for that matter) sets our experience in an entirely new course.
I think of it like a ship that turns 5 degrees. The change may not be noticeable right away, but across the ocean it can mean the difference between arriving at one continent or another. And that initial shift contained the full power and meaning of the ultimate outcome.
Thank you for sharing :). Very powerful.
I have been my biggest critic from day one. It took a long while to learn how to rejoice and celebrate the successes. My head was always filled with questions like, “Could you have done better?” “What if?” “What will they think?”
The lens that opened my eyes to a world of gratitude was the thought and motive, “Do it for the glory of God.”
This selfless foundation has brought such fruitage to my experience. It has made not only the victories triumphant but the struggles have become stepping stones. I view every moment and event of my life as forward progress, no matter the circumstantial diagnosis. Progress is that law of God. When we live and move and breathe for the glory of God, the rewards are boundless.
The beam in my own eye was what needed to be released and re-lensed. I am so grateful for this beautiful freedom.
This is beautiful. I’m going to put it to use TODAY!
I have a friend who told me that she was shocked to realize that the things that bugged her the most about her colleagues were the very things she struggled with herself in private. Mrs. Eddy called this “The reflex phenomena” in Science and Health. She said, “Mortal mind produces its own phenomena, and then charges them to something else, — like a kitten glancing into the mirror at itself and thinking it sees another kitten.” (220)
I find this helpful to remember when I am about to blast my husband for something :) Is it really him? Or am I experiencing the reflex phenomena and seeing a projection of mortal mind and thinking it is him?
In most cases, if I catch it early enough, I can work out the irritation in my own thought. When I don’t catch it, and I blast away, I swear he looks like a kitten startled out of sleep by a flying pillow. “What, who, me? huh?” THEN I get that darned beam out of my eye.
Today’s Radical Acts blog post is up – on the beam thing. Kay Olson CSB is the guest blogger and has some helpful thoughts, I think. Here you go: http://www.michellenanouchecsb.com/4/post/2012/07/cast-the-beam-out-of-your-own-eye-a-radical-acts-of-jesus-post-by-kay-olson-csb.html
I love how all things work together for good – and more quickly, and less painfully if we are open to it!
Over the past few years there have been a number of things in my work life that have made me so mad! Ways people were communicating with me, or not communicating with me, or decisions that were being made. The interesting part was that because it was business, and things I really care about, I HAD to find a way to not be mad about it. That being the case, I really began to see that it was not going to work to have these bad feeling for these folks. I was forced by necessity to get better at seeing and working with what is (for the time being) instead of what I wish were true.
It has been such a good process of smoothing off some sharp edges in my thinking. I am so much better now at not reacting when someone acts in a way that I don’t agree with or wish was different.
Being in the crucible of life is sometimes uncomfortable, but, following Jesus’ counsel, that discomfort always leads to greater strength, and ultimately the ability to heal and unify.
Hey All,
Just had to share this with you all. Such a powerful demonstration:
Over the past week I was struggling with feelings of anxiety, self-consciousness, and feeling completely unlike myself. Certain communications with people felt way off, and I was beginning to experience heart palpitations because of this. The irregularity in my thought was manifested in my body.
I spent a lot of time praying, studying, and couldn’t understand why this was happening to me. I took a little time away from where I was staying and moved into a new location where I was totally alone. Yet these thoughts kept haunting me. Then one day I realized that my small, military sized Science and Health from my grandpa’s service in World War II was missing. This made me even more perplexed. I couldn’t find it anywhere!
In the following days, I took to heart this radical act and had to really let go of my own perception of people, situations, or troubles. Most interestingly, as all this was happening, some really, really wonderful, God-led things were happening in my life that I was wide awake to! At times, they actually seemed to be competing with one another. When a really good thing happened, almost immediately after some bad news would reach me. I felt pulled between good and evil, Spirit and matter!
In my prayers during this time I heard this from God, “Put away your pride and it will be revealed to you.”
During this time I wrote a song based on this week’s Christian Science Bible Lesson on God. One of the lines says,
“Let’s forgive and forget
and remember when
the man who we all want to be
said to them
said to them,
“My enemies and friends,
I myself can do nothing.”
I prayed with this idea a lot and came to the conclusion that I was not responsible for someone else’s salvation. I also was not to allow myself to be personally called on to give advice or help someone take their mind off of their problems. I could bear witness to the Christ-Truth at work in my life and let that naturally radiate and be shared with others, but I could not change a reality already good – even if someone else seems so sure that it isn’t good!
Well, after taking the practical steps to make this clear, I asked God to help me make a decision. I needed a really clear sign. I opened up my Bible after praying to find clarity through the inspired word, and this is what I read,
“For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (II Corinthians 1: 20).
Wow! Things couldn’t have been more clear! Right then, I received a beautiful email of gratitude from someone who I had never met who was very inspired by some ideas I had shared through music found on this website.
It came to me to send an email to my mom to help me pray about my Science and Health. In the email I said, “Mind knows and sees all.”
Then, the best of all!, I received a call from a phone number I did not know. I answered it and it was a hostess at a restaurant I had never been to, ever, saying they had found my Science and Health (luckily my mom wrote my home phone number in it since I carried them to me on my wild travels). They had called my home and my mom gave them my cell number. I was totally perplexed since I had never been to the restaurant, but was so, so grateful!
So I went to go pick it up and on the way helped a blind man cross the street with two friends with me. He told us that he could see people’s souls and hearts and was very grateful for the help. We then talked about God being the only Mind and then we talked more and then I asked him if I could pray for him before we parted ways.
Then I wento to a Christian Science Reading Room to pick up a Science and Health to deliver to the hostess at the restaurant. She clearly had a receptive, open thought and I wanted to express my gratitude. It came to me to take some time to pray and listen for direction from the divine Mind and so I closed my eyes and meditated for some time before I got on the bus.
In the middle of my prayer I heard a voice say, “Time to go!” I opened my eyes and saw the bus right outside getting ready to leave. I paused for a moment, thinking I couldn’t make it, but the bus stayed put way longer than it should have. So I leaped up and ran up to the door and, voila, it was opened! I got on the bus and sat down next to a super bright eyed, beautiful young woman finishing eating some Mexican food. A greeting came out of my mouth without any thought or effort and we struck up a conversation.
She asked me what I was doing and I explained to her the situation with my lost book. She asked, “Wow. That must be an important book. What is it?” So I held up the Science and Health I had just bought and, again, without any thought or effort it came to me to just give it to her.
She said, “I am so into this stuff! I am going to read it right now!” right then she got to her stop and stepped off of the bus. Man, powerful spiritual flow happening.
I then got off of the bus, found the restaurant, and the girl pulled out my tiny Science and Health with sticky bookmarks, ink lines and notes, and duck tape to keep it from falling apart. I was so amazed. She told me that another worker had found it in the street and brought it in. She looked inside, could tell it meant a lot to someone, and found the phone number to call. I thanked her, we talked a bit, and I gave her the receipt from the Reading Room and told her if she’d ever like the book she could get it there. She was very grateful.
Wow. Powerful stuff!
Later that day, I received a phone call from someone who I had been struggling to communicate rightly with and before I picked up the phone I said out loud, “Christ, you answer this call.”
When I picked up the phone I heard someone on the other end for a moment, and then a click. That was the end of the anxiety, of the heart palpitations, and my reality of goodness and comfort was wholly restored along with my Science and Health! Also, another issue resolved beautifully and a fear of the unexpected or missing next steps was completely taken care of.
I just got an email from my mom today. This is what it said: “God is good! Thank you dear loving Father-Mother Parent! The best part is that I had not read your email until after I talked to you this morning… One Mind…gtG… “before they call I will answer”… sent from the motherhood of God, but you can call me “mom” anytime….XO’s (;D”
Isn’t that totally awesome? Haha. Cast the beam out of your own eye and you will see with the one Mind that knows only good.
Amen and glory be to God!
What wonderful lyrics and a wonderful testimony! Thank you for sharing. What a powerful message we all can take to heart.
Wow!=) Thanks so much for that!!!
About three or four years ago I started to realize that my relationship with my parents needed some work. We got along just fine (tolerated each other), but I was always annoyed at one thing or another: the way they acted, the choices they made, even their sense of humor. I began to realize that tolerating was not the same as loving. Tolerating acknowledges a wrong a chooses to dismiss it, placing the “tolerant” person above the obvious wrong they witness. Loving acknowledges good to be appreciated, placing the “loving” person at a place from where to appreciate what God is showing them.
The way I began to discover this was to notice that anything I disliked about my parents I recognized in myself first. If I disliked a behavior, it was because I reacted that way also (and I didn’t like that I acted that way!), so there was some sort of resentment in me for “getting” this behaviour from them. If I disliked a joke, it was because I recognized a nasty motive that I saw in myself. And so on. The bottom line is I was reacting to things I was already accepting about myself, not to my parents.
This experience showed me that it really didn’t matter how much I changed my parents, or even if they changed on their own. The task was really to cast the beam out of my own eye, becuase even if my parents changed I would still be left with the wrong view of myself to recognize in others.
Now, I’m not saying that every “wrong” we witness is the result of our own thinking, or even our fault in some way. What I am saying is that by defining myself in these negative ways (unthinkingly), I was constantly perpetuating a view of humanity that was less than good. Hence, what I recognized in humanity was usually less than good – which was not proof that people were less than good, but rather proof that my thinking about people was less than good.
Starting by defining ourselves correctly, we can set ourselves up to really witness what God has created, in ourselves and other, and to rejoice in the wonder of that creation. I can honestly say that my relationships with my parents (as well as friends and other relatives) has changed a hundredfold. And the more I cast that ugly beam out of my eye, the less I see the spec in others. In fact, now it’s my parents who come to me for advise on things, without me suggesting what they should or should not change!
Thank you Justin and all for all the wonderful thoughts shared here. Think of the change this group is capable of procuring if we start with ourselves! Keep up the good work!!!
This is deep and true. Almost always, when I’m annoyed by others, they’re doing something that I fear doing myself. Not even something I necessarily DO. Just something I FEAR doing, or wonder if I MIGHT be doing — like being lazy, sloppy, irresponsible, etc.
As Kate says in her FORGIVE 70 x 7 intro: ”When you point a finger at someone, three more are pointing back at you.” http://time4thinkers.com/7-forgive-70-x-7/
Your observation is so true, Nina. A few months ago, I had an experience where I was on fan weekend trip with a great group of people. I was having a lot of fun, but there were some they did that really bothered me to the point where I became physically uncomfortable. These components of their personalities were my classic “ticks”–things that had always bugged me, not matter what. In fact, the way they were acting on this trip was starting to bother me to the point where it was really, negatively affecting my outlook of these great people. Later on this same trip, I experienced an alarming physical challenge. As I tried to work through this challenge, i pondered what really needed to be corrected in my thought, and it occurred to me that I needed to correct my view of these people. They were all so incredibly loving and supportive throughout my ordeal–how could I not love them? The physical challenge resolved naturally and easily, and I was free to enjoy the remaining days on rest of the trip–and fully, completely appreciate my companions. This is negative way of viewing others is problem that I still need to work on constantly and diligently, and I will thoroughly enjoy doing so with the rest of you!
Wow, Carlos. Thank you a hundred times for this post. I’ve been thinking a lot this summer about my relationship with my parents, and for me, everything you’ve said rings true. I’ve been accepting negative traits about myself and seeing them reflected in my view of others, and THAT’s what needs correcting. Thank you thank you!
To me, your thoughts connect back to another amazing Radical Act, and one of Jesus’ two great commandments: Love your neighbor as yourself. I think your ideas really speak about loving ourselves, and how that allows us to love the people around us more — whereas its opposite, hating ourselves, only encourages hating others. We’ve got to not be irritated at ourselves! Whew!
Love what you shared Amy. It’s not easy to take a good honest look at ourselves (thank goodness for good friends who help us in a gentle way to do it!).
What a blessing you’ve experienced…and are sharing with us.
I’m taking on the challenge of casting the beam out of my own eye.
I learned a good lesson about this while working on my memoirs. I thought I had pretty much finished the book, so I sent it off to my editor, who is also a friend. She told me in the nicest possible way that I was being way too critical of people in some parts of my story.
It’s wasn’t as if I didn’t know this. Somehow I’d gotten suckered into believing that I had to “tell all” in my book, and I’d kind of shoved the Golden Rule under the rug. As a result of my friend’s generous and perceptive comments, I cut the equivalent of two whole chapters. That’s right, slashed and down the toilet.
I thought afterwards, suppose I’d described myself in the way I’d described some of these people in my book? Then I suddenly got it: Gratuitous criticism of others really tells more about me than it does about them.
That’s not to say that my entire book needs to be sweetness and light and that I should never point out anything negative about anyone. But I realized that there’s a big difference between criticism that actually adds something to the story because it helps to explain why a certain situation played out the way it did, and just plain grousing because somebody rubbed me the wrong way.
And most of all, I’m trying to take this lesson into my present life and really striving to see the perfect man that Jesus always did and expected us to do.
This year I’ve really been taking Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount to heart. And I have vowed to see the real, spiritual man of God’s creating more and more. There is no “out there” to change. There is only our own thinking and consciousness. I love this admonition to cast the beam out of our own eye first. It keeps us so close to God in our heart & our thoughts by constantly striving to see and understand Him and all the He made more perfectly. We are truly Jesus’ disciples when we are striving to express more humility, grace, compassion, love, honesty, strength, integrity, etc. every opportunity we get!
Thank you all for sharing :)
it really comes down to this is to me. If you can see everyone as who they truly are, an expression of the infinite and you can hold to that, then you will have no problem dropping judgements entirely because how could you judge a pure expression of the infinite. The problems arise when you get caught up in surface level characteristics such as actions and personality traits because when you are judging these things, you are just bringing your “stories” and past with you to make statements like, “because something has happened to me in the past then I know you are acting wrong.” or, “because i dont act this way then you shouldn’t either.” Both of these are completely wrong angles. For one, we need to live entirely in the present, in the immediate unfoldment of the infinite, to live in the present means to act out of that love that is unfolding and means there is no “past” for you to carry with you. Secondly, these statement assume we are separate and that there is a wrong and right way to live. But I ask you this: if everyone is on there journey and everyone is an expression of the infinite then how can we possibly know what is right or wrong for someone. We can not possibly know what profound effect a supposed “wrong” action could have on that person’s interior and spiritual self that will be beneficial to them. We get caught up in judging an event by the outward, material effects but that cannot possibly convey the spiritual ramifications on someone. One of my favorite thinkers of all time is german poet Rainer Maria Rilke and he says something interesting about charity (which may be slightly off topic but I’ll try to tie it all back together) he says that he is very hesitant to help someone when they are suffering, not for lack of compassion, but because he cant possibly no what internal and spiritual transformations may be taking place that could be hindered by them being helped.) We all are taught to think more spiritually about the world, but when someone (there physical body or life) is in pain or danger or is suffering then we leap through hoops to make sure that they (their physical body) is okay. But what profound spiritual effect brought on by that suffering may have been prevented do to us reacting to the material picture of things? I was going to tie this back to the beginning, but I would prefer to stop now in order to see what peoples thoughts about this statement are.
Dear Justin,
Thank you so much for this comment! It’s funny, I just had a situation in which I tried to see no human personalities, but perfect ideas. Your comment inspired me to hold on to that and to really do it. What helped me the most was not to rely on my own understanding of what is right and what is wrong, but knowing that there is no right or wrong way and that we are all just led by God. Holding on to that resolved the situation in a very peaceful and harmonious way and I’m really grateful for that. Another thing I learned to love about this radical act is to be happy to change. Once someone told me that every time I’m annoyed by something another person is doing it’s because I’m doing the same thing myself or because I am jealous. At first I thought that this was pretty silly and didn’t want to believe it but after a while I started to observe myself more. So every time someone did something that annoyed me I questioned myself, asking, “Why is that annoying you?”
After a while I realised that it really was either jealousy or behaving like that myself or both of them. So instead of being annoyed by the other person I started to change myself. Now I’m always happy when I have the opportunity to question myself. Doing that helped me to grow a lot and to understand more about my true identity.
Thanks again for sharing this comment, it helped me a lot!!!
Brother Justin,
I totally agree with Rilke. We have no right to impede on an individual in development – and we are all in development!
I used to witness people who I considered powerful spiritual thinkers walk by homeless people or stay calm in intense situations and think it was heartlessness. Since I am spiritually developing I am finding myself more likely to be this way, too.
Why? Because I truly trust they are in God’s arms. It doesn’t meant I’m not listening and willing to act. But I find now I can be a better tool for the divine when I witness God working rather than rush in and think that I can work God.
But when people come asking for help, or people who are unable to make their thoughts known are in distress, then we must act with all the force of Truth we are given.
I can’t change people. I can’t heal problems. I can only acknowledge present perfection. I can only be a vessel, a vehicle, for Mind.
This is such a wonderful story, thank you for sharing. As I was reading it I was chuckling to myself at how similar it is to my own work situation. While I am so busy judging and being irritated with my co-workers, I am allowing now time to love them. Even with irriating customers, or those who seem to order coffee just so they can boss someone else around, being mad at them doesn’t allow me to see their true qualities.
I love all these comments and Justin’s original story. One of the ways I try to keep my own spiritual vision clear is to think about how people have misunderstood me. I have what I call a “thinking face.” It’s evidently a face that worries people. I am normally very happy and friendly, but when I think about something more deeply, if I’m not paying attention to how I look, my face goes totally blank. That’s really upsetting to some people.
Just today, I was buying my husband a cold drink. They told me the price, and I got distracted by how much gets charged in tax – sales tax, service tax, food tax. It’s incredible how much the price goes up after they add on the taxes. I wasn’t upset in the least. I was just thinking. But both girls behind the counter thought I was not happy and immediately started trying to explain things. I couldn’t convince them that I was fine. No matter how much I smiled after that and said thank you, they still seemed to feel I was disgruntled. I left praying that no communication could go wrong.
Mary Baker Eddy, who’s ideas are part of the inspiration for this site, says that God is Mind, the only true intelligence of the universe, and we all are the outcome of that Mind. She also says that true communication is from God to us. So there is no opportunity for miscommunication. I held to these thoughts for a while and then let it go.
It’s stuff like this, though, that helps me remember not to take someone’s tone, facial expression, or anything else personally. Like when another drive gets angry with me, instead of getting angry back, I pray that they have a better day and are able to see God’s children instead of idiots in the way. I do have to say that it takes more effort to remember this when it’s a family member. I can forget to pray first and not react, but I do eventually remember and get back to looking for God’s expression, Mind’s communication, right where anger, frustration, complaint, etc seem to be.
Reminds me… Matt 7:1 Do not judge, or you too will be judged. (NIV) That is a cool way to navigate work relationships, friendships, any groups/church especially. It’s an awesome thing to experience, unconditional love. Maybe, there is a different way to look at taking the spec out of someone else’s eye. Maybe, removing the mote in our own eye frees us to not judge others, rather than entitling us to judge. I use to think I could talk if I fessed up to what I was needing to learn. In other words, “I’m not okay, so it’s okay to say you’re not okay”. Did you follow that? But we shouldn’t be harsh in judging ourselves, or others. That frees us to love, just how Justin detailed it. Love enough to see the good that’s there. It achieves a better result.
Great article! How do you think church plays into this? What have you gained from the weekly services that provides you with inspiration to achieve this RADICAL ACT?
Wow, that is great, yes turning back and binding the “strong man” first, and this one has seemingly only one place to act in and through, that is our thinking, yes here we can detect the betrayal and get it right and find order through Christ and this is a joyfilled, rewarding job in which we can stand and work together! Great to meet to you, Thank you for sharing! Soooo encouraging …
i love this thought by the principle which i use in my daily life, there is a question that i always ask myself when there is something wrong goes on between me and other people. “WHO NEED TO CHANGE? and the answer is “the one who need to change is ME(myself). the first demand that i have at every time is to see every one right as we are all under God harmonious protection.
I really agree with you on this Alphonse. When we realize that something we dislike about them is the result of a mistake in our thinking as well as in theirs. This also means that by recognizing them as who they REALLY are, a perfect child of God, we can change the behavior that has been irritating us.
Justin-
I love your plan of action. My thoughts on this is not opening your door for bad actions or practices to slyly become our own. When we allow ourselves to be frustrated or irritated or at all reacting to negativity or bad or evil, we are believeing that there is something other than good-something to make us feel that way. We’re answering to evils call instead if God’s-we’re giving evil what it asks for: attention, power, belief in its existence. We become an advocate for error, a false witness, instead of a witness to God’s good and allness. But most importantly, when we open our door for evil to have a place in power and being, we allow evil to find its way into our own actions. Or even worse, we separate ourself from others when we react humanly to negative actions-we separate ourself from who Gods idea and child is, and thus we separate ourself from God, from good being all. So it truly is crucial and loving to ourself to respond instead of reacting – to cast out the beam out of our own eye and thus thought, and then see God good as all.