The Mystery of Life
Nona L. Brooks
Mysteries,
1924.
Divine Science Federation
Int’l
3rd Printing, 1977.
Copyright Material
Reprinted by Permission
The origin
and the process of life have seemed to
many the greatest of mysteries. "What is
life, and how can it persist in such a
variety and under so many different
conditions?" are common questions. There
have been so many problems in the thought
of the race concerning causes and effects
that all thinkers have been searching for
solutions. Much of this research has not
afforded us very much light on the
solution of our problems, because
students have thought they were dealing
with two powers--matter and Spirit. The
concept of an unknown power which is
directing the process of life has given
rise to the assertion, "We can take you
so far, and no farther." This assertion
is the last word of many scientists,
philosophers, and religionists. God has
been thought of through the centuries by
students in various phases of human
knowledge as the Great Unknown--hence,
the mystery of life!
How are we
thinking about the great word Life? Are
we taking it in its highest meaning? The
word may be written in two different
ways. Divine Science usually writes it
with a capital letter; popular usage
spells the word with a small letter and
thinks of life as meaning everyday
existence, the passing show, outer
relations and activities. Out of this
conception many questions arise, such as,
"Why did this happen to him? What is the
reason for this tragedy? Why are the
lives of so many people on this earth
seemingly miserable?"
Divine
Science holds out a solution for all
problems and an answer to all questions
in a conception which interprets Life as
God in action. Life written with a
capital stands for the Activity of God.
God is omni-active; and what God is must
come forth in His activity. Since God is
good, the activity of the universe of
form is good; since God is love, all
activity is loving; since God is power,
all activity is powerful for good.
God-Activity is what natural science
calls the universal energy. In
God-Activity you and I live, move, and
have our Being. As we function in this
consciousness of the oneness of the
Universe, we lift the thought of the
world around us. "I, if I be lifted up,
will draw all unto me." Jesus' words
prove his faith in the power of right
thinking.
Since the
Presence which we call the I AM is the
only Presence and Power, let us lift
ourselves into that consciousness of
oneness through our daily living which
brings those around us into the concept
of wholeness. Our thinking must be based
on the affirmation, "God is all, both
visible and invisible."
We are
likely to think of God in the highest and
the best that we know, but let us not
fail to see God in the least of the
things of Life; there are no high and no
low in the Kingdom of God-Life, and when
we think of man in the Absolute, we see
that by nature, he must be Godlike, for
is not man the highest expression of an
infinite, all-powerful Creator? Let us
apply this concept to ourselves, our
families, and our friends, as well as to
all the world of men; it is our
obligation to keep ourselves in the most
positive attitude toward the Divinity of
all Life. Each one has the power to
attain to the realm of Divine
Consciousness, if we hold true to the
vision of our unity with God.
See truth;
stand for truth; affirm truth in your
lives step by step. Such statements as
the following show us the Divinity of
Life:
God is Life.
What God is comes forth in Divine
Activity.
We live, move, and have our Being in
God-Life.
By Divine Power we are alive now.
I know that Life is perfect, for God is
All.
Man is Living Soul, brought forth
perfect in nature.
Man is divine, because he is one with
God.
Man has the power to realize the truth
of Being, and to
accomplish the best in every relation
and activity.
Consciousness of God is the light of
the world.
Why not
spell Life with a capital letter? Does
not Divinity include all? I am asked,
"How can you say that God is all that is
visible, when there is so much inharmony
and imperfection in the visible?" Are you
looking with the outer eye of the senses,
or are you seeing with the inner eye of
Spirit? It is with the inner eye that we
see truth. Appearances of inharmony are
the results of wrong conceptions. When
the inner vision comes, we see that God
is the only Creator, and that we live by
the power of His consciousness, and that
we are brought forth by the impelling
Spirit of His Love. When you and I see
imperfection, it does not mean that in
this place God is working imperfectly. It
is we who are seeing imperfection.
God’s work is perfect; man’s
conception of it is often imperfect or
partial. Imperfect seeing, then, is the
cause of our list of sorrows and
evils.
When in the
hour of silence or in the time of
activity, it is possible for us to free
our mentality from beliefs of limitation,
and the soul, standing conscious of its
oneness with God, looks out upon the
universe with the God-Vision, it realizes
truth. We see that the temporal
experiences of sorrow and lack are the
results of ignorance and are unimportant
compared with the real experiences. In
our earnest attempt to dissolve these
misconceptions, we see that after all
temporal experience is like a little
shadow passing across the face of the
sun. You and I are coming into the
understanding of the affirmation, God is
All. God is His world.
God-Mind is speaking through us.
God is working by means of man.
Divine Love is radiating through
us.
God-Light is the light of the
world.
There is no darkness in the Light that
is illumining the Universe.
We live to serve; true service means
cooperating with God in His activity.
Let us be
sure that we are true to Life in its
highest meaning. This very moment is the
testing time; it is our opportunity to
prove ourselves true by thinking to our
highest and by translating our thinking
into doing. Remember, it is living the
Life that counts. Are you practicing the
Presence? Am I? We know that God is
active in this place as Living Soul;
since God is active here, there is no
other power to interfere with perfect
expression this moment; let us not
falter. Let us face the situation
whatever it may be, with knowledge that
the Father is doing the work. God is in
this place now; hence there is no room
for sickness, weakness, sin, lack.
God is in
action; hence all is Life. Life is the
fullness that filleth all. We live
because God lives. God is living us this
moment. It is easy to fall short, if we
are living in the lesser conception of
life which deals with outer things only,
and are basing our decisions on every day
happenings. If a man seems to be walking
in darkness, we may be sure that it is
because he is unwilling to see the light.
Jesus said, "He that followeth me shall
not walk in darkness, but shall have the
light of life."
I read an
interesting sermon recently in which the
author says that you and I have a
rendezvous with Life and that we must
keep our engagement. What does this mean?
It means that we have a rendezvous with
Truth, and it lies with you and me to
keep our engagement. We may exist for
many years without living at all.
"Clinging to existence, we may,
nevertheless, refuse Life." Laziness,
fear, prejudices may prevent our keeping
true to our obligation. We must be alert
and vital now in order to give our best.
We miss Life itself through mental
indolence. Fear keeps us bound to petty
experiences; we are afraid to rise. Many
of us have a pet rut; let us welcome the
mental earthquake that comes and shakes
us out of it; but why wait for the
earthquake? I do not wish Life to have to
force me out of my limited conceptions; I
must make the effort to rise. Spiritual
initiative is necessary to true
living.
Life is one
with truth, beauty, love, wisdom, power,
joy; it is a rendezvous with goodness,
courage, kindness, faithfulness, service,
and it is calling you and me to action.
Life is, above all, a rendezvous with
God; if we do not keep it, we miss the
joy of living.
What, then,
is the origin of Life? Are you ready to
answer the question? Infinite Wisdom,
Knowledge, and Understanding is the
origin. Hence we use a capital to
emphasize the Divinity of Life. What is
the process? Process is God in action. It
is the working out of the universal plan.
Life is all-powerful. It is God. God is
not unknown or unknowable. Hence, there
is no mystery; there is only infinite
Love and Power in action; the expression
is by law; there is no chance; neither is
there secret process. God is revealed as
Life.
* * * * *
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