Authentic Health New Mexico

New Mexico Christian Science Committee on Publication

Stability when the winds of change blow

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Stability when the winds of change blow
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In his latest blog Tim Mitchinson reminds us that “no matter what new challenges you may face, there is an unwavering, unconditional, divine Love enfolding you and those you love, right now.”  These ideas could not be more relevant than today. “Stability when the winds of change blow” was first published on September 5, 2017 in the Peoria Journal-Star.

As summer turns to fall in Illinois, the wonderful warm days of Indian summer arrive. This is a time of change, not only in the weather, as days become shorter and nights chillier, but often a time of personal changes as loved ones move off to attend college, start new jobs, make new friends, often leaving parents and others behind.

Bob Dylan once wrote, “May you have a strong foundation when the winds of change shift…”  Like many others, I have found the Bible to be that strong foundation when facing times of challenge or change.  Why? Because the Bible, spiritually interpreted, helps us understand that the power of God is mightier than any fearful situation we may be facing.  It’s a textbook on life.  Through counsel and example, it shows us how to face any situation, trusting that God’s love and protective power are sufficient to help us no matter the changes we face.

Throughout the Bible there are stories of people who, when they were up against something really challenging, felt the presence and power of God and His great love.  For instance, the life of Joseph, son of Hebrew patriarch Jacob, was full of twists and turns.  He was sold by his brothers into slavery, falsely accused when he took a moral stand, imprisoned and forgotten by those he had trusted.  But Joseph knew God’s great love surrounded him no matter where he was, no matter what was going on. He patiently lived his life under God’s guidance.  When he was finally released from prison, he saved a nation from famine.

King David may have been thinking of Joseph when he penned these words about God’s ever-presence and unchanging love during uncertain times: “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?  If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold thou art there” (Ps. 139: 7, 8).  This Psalm teaches that God’s direction and affection never leave us, no matter where we are, who we are with (or not with), or how severe the challenges we seem to be up against.

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10 Myths About the Bible

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Dear Friends,

As most of you know, I love the Bible and read it often. (See previous blog from last fall on this subject).  With this in mind and although only one of the myths below identifies the Good Samaritan, I thought this article entitled “10 Myths About the Bible” from the November 20, 2012 Christian Science Monitor, explores and speaks to some of the unique aspects of this sacred book that cause many to question its value and overall intent. If you like what it has to say, be sure to check out the more in depth article in the Christian Science Sentinel by using the direct link included at the bottom of the page.

Bible1. The Bible is drier than the Mojave Desert.
True, the Bible is, in a sense, just a bunch of words. But the reader’s desire to understand God, to love Him and one’s brothers and sisters around the world more, and to grow in grace brings the Bible to life. Our desire to grow spiritually converts the Bible from a desert of words into a garden of spiritual truths and inspiration.

2. The Bible teaches religiosity, not spirituality.

The Bible is profoundly opposed to a merely surface spiritual practice. It demands honesty with oneself and others, freedom from hypocrisy, and that one love God and others unconditionally.

In Jesus’ parable of the good Samaritan, a priest and another worker in the Temple refuse to help a man who has been beaten. Finally he receives aid from a compassionate, generous man of a religion that was detested by Jesus’ compatriots (see Luke 10:25-37).

3. The Bible is antiwomen.
Some letters attributed to the Apostle Paul say that women should dress and act modestly and keep quiet. But these are views about what was appropriate in that time and culture – not comments on the superiority of one gender over another. In fact, millions of women and men, throughout history and today, have found that the love of God as explained in the Bible reforms, frees, and heals. Consider Mary Baker Eddy, who found in the Bible the answer to her own suffering, as well as a system of healing upon which to found a church. In this church, men and women have enjoyed equality since 1879.

4. The Bible is exclusivistic.
That is, it teaches that only some are “in” while most are “out.” For example, this statement of Jesus is often interpreted in a narrow, exclusivistic manner: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). But as the Gospels indicate, Jesus was not trying to get people to accept a certain phrase or even a certain narrow teaching. He invited everyone everywhere, and in all time, to love God supremely, and to love their brothers and sisters. This is the way, the truth, and the life by which we come to God.

5. The Bible says that people who aren’t Christian are just plain wrong.
In fact, the writers of many parts of the Bible seem to go out of their way to emphasize that everyone everywhere can recognize and base their lives on God as infinite Love. In the book of Acts, Peter has an experience that shows him that God doesn’t care about a person’s background as long as the person is truly righteous (see Acts 10:1-35).

6. The Bible teaches that we’ll go to hell if we don’t accept Jesus as our personal savior.
Few biblical passages actually talk about hell. Rather, many passages talk about the blessings that flow – here and now and eternally – from doing right (see the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, for example).

And here’s a passage that emphasizes that salvation is won as we think and live the way that Jesus did: “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31, 32).

7. The Bible contributes to an unhappy status quo in societies around the world.
This is a serious misconception. In fact, one could argue that it was the availability of the Bible in the vernacular that drove forward the Reformation. The Good Book was the main inspiration for ending the transportation of Africans as slaves to the United States, and many ministers and others who fought for civil rights for African-Americans in the latter part of the 20th century leaned heavily on the Bible.

The love of God, as explained in the Bible, reforms, frees, and even heals.

8. The Bible is old-fashioned and becoming obsolete.
For centuries, the Bible, which has outsold any other book since it was printed for the first time in the 15th century, has shaped Western law and culture. The Ten Commandments form the basis for laws in many countries.

9. The Bible should be interpreted literally.
The Bible abounds in metaphors, parables, and stories. Interpreting this richness literally would kill its spirit. The Scriptures heal us as we open our hearts to their spirit.

10. You could study the Bible for centuries, but it can never save you from dying.
Christian Science teaches that to understand the Bible spiritually is to be guided to eternal life.  Jesus said, “If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death” (John 8:51).

The Bible rescues us and lifts us to a higher perception of God as the only Life now. This knowledge is practical and will save us bodily to the degree that we understand and prove it in daily living.

Adapted from the Christian Science Sentinel. To read the full article, click here.