Order in the house

In recent years some government bodies have taken steps to strengthen the integrity of their own members, thereby encouraging wiser and more authoritative decisions and actions.

Without such internal discipline, actions genuinely meant to help are sometimes regarded by others as having political or religious overtones. Then the intended aid arouses suspicion.

How can individuals and nations ensure moral order within themselves so the helping hand they extend will be proper and readily accepted?

The "house" that needs to be kept in order is thought. Thoughts out of line with the divine order base all moral confusion. Truly ordered thought reflects God, divine Mind, and corrects discord.

In reality, each of us is the reflection of Mind. The universe we live in is Mind's immortal expression. The Revelator, describing this pure spiritual universe, points to the congruous government within it: "He shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, . . . and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." n1

n1 Revelation 21:1, 2.

"The healing of the nations" starts with individual self-correction. The importance of establishing moral order in one's own life before judging others was stressed by Christ Jesus. He said, "First cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." n2

n2 Matthew 7:5.

In its most basic sense, isn't this beam in our eye the false, the material, concept of man -- of both ourselves and others? This bogus view of man would blind us to the spiritual reality of God's perfect creation, the eternally harmonious action of every creature. By removing this beam and replacing it with a growing perception of God as Love and Mind and of man as His unblemished expression -- and this is done efficiently through prayer -- we can help remove the mote, the mistaken sense, attached to others. When we do this, practical ways to help appear.

We might feel humbled at the prospect of contributing meaningfully to the solution of world problems. Some international peace organizations are doing much in the right direction. But we can all help, not through mere bravado, but through deep, prayerful recognition of divine reality -- and the actions such prayer may give rise to. Mary Baker Eddy n3 writes: "Great mischief comes from attempts to steady other people's altars, venturing on valor without discretion, which is virtually meddlesomeness. Even your sincere and courageous convictions regarding what is best for others may be mistaken; you must be demonstratively right yourself, and work out the greatest good to the greatest number, before you are sure of being a fit counsellor." n4

n3 Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science.

n4 Miscellaneous Writings,m pp. 287-288.

People in all walks of life are learning to be "demonstratively right." The need for moral stature is being recognized. But to be truly liberated, human morality -- indeed, every human endeavor -- needs to be spiritualized, to be strengthened by an understanding of the immortal nature of man. The power of truly enlightened thought can never be drowned beneath waves of promiscuity or mob rule. Spiritual perception is potent prayer for establishing universal harmony.

The call to get our own house in order can be seen as a call to us all to do a little mental housecleaning. As we remove the beam that obstructs our own spiritual vision, we are helping immeasurably to bring about "the healing of the nations." DAILY BIBLE VERSE The just man walketh in his integrity. Proverbs 20:7

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.
QR Code to Order in the house
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/1980/0807/080715.html
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe