"Blessing or cursing..."

"May the Lord protect and defend you.
May He always shield you from shame.
May you come to be
In Israel a shining name..."

"The Sabbath Prayer," from Fiddler on the Roof, always touches me in a very profound way.  But in the last few weeks, I find myself coming back to it, often, as I re-center my thinking in the space of blessing, rather than cursing.

Cursing???... you may think with alarm.  But yes, cursing.  I am beginning to see that if my thoughts aren't ones of blessing...beginning with God's allness, and, like a pebble dropped in a pond, rippling out from one all-encompassing Truth-based version of reality...they can easily drift into the nebulus space of opinion.  And opinion...mine, or anyone else's...has no value.  In fact, in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, and her other prose writings, Mary Baker Eddy, counsels:

"Human opinions are not spiritual."

"The one Mind, God, contains no mortal opinions."

"In Christian Science mere opinion is valueless."

"Science makes no concessions to persons or opinions."

"The opinions of men cannot be substituted
for God's revelation."

I have been struck by the fact that she doesn't say, "other people's human opinions are valueless..." but that any, and all, mere human opinion, including my own, is valueless.  And since I want to live a life of value, a life that makes a difference in this world, I have committed myself to being more fully engaged in blessing everyone, and everything, I come in contact with.  Leonardo da Vinci offered this insight, which has given me a wonderful spiritual incentive for eschewing my right to have an opinon about anyone, or anything, when he said:

"The greatest deception men suffer
is from their own opinions."

The person I am most "cursing" when I harbor an opinion, is myself.  To allow myself to be shackled by deception is self-destructive.  To deprive myself of the Truth about anyone, or anything, is rank poverty.  I must start at the right starting point,  as Eddy avers, to arrive at satisfying conclusions...conclusions that bless instead of curse.  She says:

"The starting point of divine Science is that God, Spirit,
is All-in-all, and there is no other might, nor Mind.

If I am starting from any other starting point, my orientation to the Truth is going to be skewed, and I will never reach the right conclusion.  If this is the case, why would I want to waste my time wandering about in the wilderness of self-deception, by harboring opinions of any kind?  If, as Eddy says, opinions are valueless, why would I want to traffic in them...at all?  I believe that each of us longs to be seen, and known, for who we really are in the eyes of God.  To be seen through the lens of Truth's revelation, which is the only basis for any kind of healing, transformative, blessing relationship. 

So, I am asking myself, moment-by-moment, "Is the way I am thinking, speaking, or acting affirming or denying the presence of God as All-in-all?  Is it based on a trust in God as my only Informant about myself, or anyone else?  Are my thoughts...the way I am thinking, or speaking about myself or another...a blessing, or a cursing...based in the Truth of God's Allness, in all, or mere valueless, deceptive human opinions?"

When my information...about myself, or anyone else...comes from God, it must be consistent with its Source.  It must have the character of His viewpoint, as Truth...honest, accepting, free of judgment.  It must speak His language, of Love.   It must reflect the enduring constancy of his nature, as Life.  It must be as full of beautiful possibilities as the breadth of His constitution, the embodiment of Soul.  It must always be thoughtful, and conscious of His allness, as Mind.  It must be scientific, orderly, reliable, as Principle.  And it must animate the very best in us...charity, kindness, patience, grace...as Spirit. 

If information comes from any other source, and I entertain, reflect (ponder deeply), mull over, or publish it in my thinking, speech, or actions, I am conspiring with the only real enemy, or stranger,  I can experience...those thoughts which encourage me to live a life, full of self-deception through "mere human opinion."  And in doing so,  I am consenting to cursing myself, and others.  Thereby, denying myself the richness of a life full of blessing.  Blessing others, and being blessed by the joy of beholding a universe...a reality...with only one Creator, who made it good...very good. 

I think, for myself, I will choose a blessing...

"Divine presence,
breathe Thou Thy blessing on every heart in this house.
Speak out, O soul!."
- Mary Baker Eddy

with Love,

Kate