Voice and Vision

One Woman's WORDS AND WORKS •grapple •inspire •liberate

33: One Mind

I was taught in Sunday School long ago, and since, that God is Mind, the intelligence behind all that is.  Does this surprise you? Perhaps not. Perhaps you already know this.

But it could be you also see yourself as having a personal mind of your own that gives you your means of knowing, your identity. The two views are in conflict. Either there is One Mind or there are many–which is it?

If one accepts that God is supreme (and if God is not supreme what is God?), then One Mind makes sense. That is, until we wonder about the validity of our own mortal minds.

What if what appears to us mortals as our own private minds is not the truth of being, but a counterfeit, mirage, illusion, full of flashy figments, somewhat like fairy tales, conspiracy theories, or lies? And just like fairy tales, conspiracy theories, and lies, mortal minds billow up clouds of darkness as well as a fluff of temporary pleasures of no eternal value. They grab our attention continuously until we believe in them, including all the discord and evil they present.

But if God, who is Spirit, is All and all that He/She creates is entirely, emphatically good, reflective of His/Her Being, there is no room for anything unlike Spirit. In that case, whatever appears to the five senses as real is not. Perhaps this is why Jesus answered Nicodemus “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again.” (John 3: 6, 7). And why John writes that those understanding Christ “were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God: ” (John 1: 12-13). And why Paul wrote to the Corinthians:  “this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality…”(1 Corinthians: 15:  54).

Some elements of our human lives hint at the divine–such as beauty, love, truth, honesty, principle. Such higher concepts can’t help but be expressed because God is. God’s very nature is the truth that blinks glimpses of reality into our human state. We cherish these glimpses.  We yearn for them, reach for them, pattern our highest aims after them. When we go about our daily lives with goals closer to the One Mind, we live more rewarding, uplifting, and peaceful lives.

But these goals are not easy to come by. They demand daily effort, evolving understanding, spiritual discernment. They require we give up false and fleeting pleasures for a higher attainment. Our deep desire–and prayerful work–to know God, the One Mind, frees us from all that harms, depresses, anguishes. Working diligently to understand our relationship to Mind is a lifetime endeavor but one that holds us up through any adversity. It is the imperative path.

Know this:  Each of us is God’s beloved child. We reflect Him/Her. God’s attributes are ours by inheritance. When we acknowledge the One Mind as our Father/Mother, and attempt to live our lives in this truth, fear dissipates, problems can be solved, and we stop seeing ourselves and others as flawed, imperfect mortals. We discover as Love’s offspring we can only love. We look past rudimentary concepts we’ve held to as mortals and grasp our higher, spiritual identity. We know, then, our source–everyone’s source– is the one Mind from whom we inherit only good.

What a way to begin each day! To know we are God’s child! God, the One Mind, who knows only good, creates only good, and who made us only good! As an expression of the One Mind we elicit only good. Our reason for being is to express our divine nature. This is who we are.

Cape Cod Path, oil, 15 " x 12," unframed, $575 by Gwendolyn Evans

Cape Cod Path, oil, 15 ” x 12,” unframed, $575 by Gwendolyn Evans

Artwork:  Cape Cod Path, oil, 15 ” x 12,” unframed, $575:  For many years, decades ago when visiting my parents, I joyfully walked Cape Cod beaches. This work was painted following a recent visit to Cape Cod where our dogs ran gleefully onto this path and I followed just as gleefully.

Next Post

Previous Post

© 2024 Voice and Vision

Theme by Anders Norén