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Monday, March 28, 2016

Easter Attack and the Healing Response of divine Love

BBC News in Asia today, reports on "the attack against Christians celebrating Easter" at a funfair in a park (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35910124). Hundreds were injured and dozens of innocent children died.  
Although "Jamaat-ul-Ahrar said the target of its Easter Sunday attack was the Christian community," many who died were Muslims. "In the end," unfortunately, "those killed and wounded were simply Pakistani citizens spending a day out in the park with their children."  
After his visits to the victims in the hospital, Mr. Sharif, at a "later security meeting," said that "defeating terrorism was imperative." Absolutely. 
Terrorism is not something new to the world, but it is something the greater part of humanity rejects. It is not in accord with the nature of the Infinite One who is Spirit and Love. Violence does not emanate from the Source of all Being which is Love. This is a powerful fact to realize in prayer because whatever is not aligned to the divine nature has, in reality, no power, since God, Spirit, is omnipotent and supreme. This truth is mighty and realizing this fact causes things to happen in a saving direction. 
In the book of Revelation, evil at its worst is symbolized by the "great red dragon" (12:3). This evil, one form of which is terrorism, is bound with a great chain by "an angel come down from heaven" and "cast into the bottomless pit" for a thousand years "that he should deceive the nations no more" (20:1-3). The nature of the Dragon (evil, terrorism) is deception. The nature of God, Good, is Truth. According to the Master, Christ Jesus, the Truth makes us free. To be free of terrorism we must know the deep truth, or reality, of divine Love's ever-presence and omnipotence. 
There is never a moment when Love is not present. When evil seems violently present as in this terrorist attack, the strongest power against it -- one that will aid those taking practical outward steps to prevent further victimization and loss -- is to humbly ask for the realization of God's presence and power as the Light of Love filling all space and encircling everyone. 
Evil is deceptive. It appears to be present and hurtful. Truth exposes its nothingness and shows itself in protection and healing. 
Even now, to declare that our divine Father was present and protecting His little ones, no matter what it looked like, will bring healing physically and emotionally to those who seem to have been hurt. The dear ones who we mourn, they are in the Father's arms, whole and comforted. Let us pray for that comfort to rest on each of us, and for the healing power that comes with realizing the allness and ever presence of God, Good, Spirit and Love. Let the wounds be healed. Let the uplifting resurrection power be felt by all who suffered in this attack.

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Art to Encourage Syrian Children


Diana Brisly, Syrian artist now living in Beirut, sends encouragement to children in her home country. She explains, "You can put philosophy in a painting," and many of her pieces are featured in a surviving children's magazine, Zayton and Zaytona. The aim is to give children hope and help them hold to their dreams while living in a war zone and witnessing things that no one should ever have to face (http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35847632). 



It is a natural thing to cover your child's eyes at the sight of something bad or frightening. We do it at the movies and should do it for all presentations of evil. The innocent mind full of natural wonder and love of play should not have ugly, violent, war pictures before their gaze every day, no have to bear the loss of loved family members or damage to their own bodies. Brisly is giving them her best in art; she is teaching and encouraging through paintings that people risk their lives and freedom to distribute. 

What can we give? What can we do to help? How can we reach a child in Syria's war zone right now to protect and give hope? Some of us may find ways to respond hands-on or in-person, but most of us need to respond metaphysically through extraordinarily powerful prayer that becomes practical even at such a distance to a multitude of young children to decrease violence before their eyes. Let's put the beautiful and meaningful paintings of divine Spirit and Love before their eyes instead. This requires seeing spiritually, a thing more difficult for the more mature and educated ming than for a child who embraces spirituality naturally.

Our effective prayer comes with seeing from God's eyes. See the Light of Love everywhere, gently embracing everything, filling all the space in Syria and all the space around each and every child there. See them surrounded in a gentle but impervious light -- the light that is God whose Word changes chaos to order, and senseless fighting and violence to peace, rest, calm, and joy. God is ever-present and "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (II Corinthians 3:17).