Today’s blog
Lynn Murphy Mark
Loving Unity
“The state of being one; oneness.” This is my phone dictionary’s definition of Unity. The Unity I’m referring to is my church home, a part of the Unity movement that started over one hundred years ago. Charles and Myrtle Fillmore are the co-founders. They lived during a time when the transcendentalists and the metaphysicians were redefining the Universe and its relation to all living things, including humans. Charles was not a well educated man, but he was a genius in his own right, seeing way past the borders that established religions placed on our ability to live from God’s Truth.
Some people wonder if Unity is a cult. Not at all. It is a spiritual path, recognizes Jesus as our master teacher, believes that we are created in the image and likeness of God, and knows that each being is imbued with the light and love of God. We believe, as Christian Scientists do, that God is love and love is the power that created the Universe. I find it hard to argue with that.
At the same time, we have free will. That is the ability to react as we choose, and sometimes it is the origin of cruel and evil deeds. Those actions are referred to as error thinking, counter to the will of God and the teachings of Jesus. Unity recognizes that “we are Spiritual Beings having a human experience”, a phrase from Teilhard de Chardin, the French Jesuit Priest. This is not to excuse our misbehavior. Instead, it is a reminder that we each have a direct connection to God and Spirit and therefore have the ability to live with love and respect for others.
Unity is largely a spiritual movement using affirmations and denials. Affirmations are statements of truth, emphasizing the importance of positive thoughts and actions. Denials are statements that move us away from error thinking. Yesterday’s sermon at my church was all about the ways in which our thoughts can move us in opposite directions from where we’d like to be. “The love of God surrounds me.” , is an affirmation from a Unity prayer. “I am never alone. God will not leave me.”, is a denial of any fear that I may have about the presence or absence of God in my life.
One of the premises of Unity is, “Thoughts in mind reproduce in kind.” That tells me that if I choose to think in negative ways, those thoughts will often manifest as negative aspects in my daily life. Unity principles encourage me to see that God’s love and abundance exist everywhere. I no longer have to fear “not enough”, a concept that has led me down dark paths before.
Prayer and meditation are essential Unity practices. The power of prayer is now being studied as the actual ability to manifest productive, positive happenings in our lives. Scientific studies have shown that the energy of prayer from even a great distance can make a difference. Meditation takes us to that place within where God and Spirit can be found. It opens us to hear that “still small voice” that guides us to be our best self. As we meditate, we often learn what is ours to do. It helps us look for the next right thing and then take action to accomplish it.
Five principles guide Unity thought: God is absolute good and everywhere present. People are inherently good. Our thoughts create our experiences. Prayer and meditation are connections to the Divine. Our daily lives can be lived with love and integrity. When I read these words I know exactly why Unity has become my spiritual home for the last 10 years. I am grateful for having walked into Unity of Naples in 2012. It was no accident.