I’d like to begin today by asking you
to solve this addition problem,
123
654
878
954
Who has an answer?
Describe to me the procedure you went
through to solve this addition problem.
(Example: I totaled the numbers in the
right-most column, 19, wrote down the nine and carried the one to the middle
column; added those numbers, 20, wrote down the zero and carried the two to the
first column; totaled those numbers (26) and wrote that down. Solution 2609.
Another answer might be: I got out my calculator and added up the numbers.)
Would it be fair to say you used the
principles of mathematics to solve this addition problem?
How many of you attempted to solve
this problem by asking mathematics to
do it while you sat back waiting for it to be done?
One of the things that sets Unity,
and all “new Thought” communities apart from traditional Christianity is we
believe that God has instilled in us the same “powers” that God possesses. We
all possess these same “powers,” powers that are set into motion through the use
of spiritual principle. We possess these powers but they are not of our making.
They were placed in us, by God, at our creation.
We have full use of them. They were a
gift to us at our creation. We must consciously include God in the use of these
principles for them to be most effective.
We have the principles of the
workings of math and we don’t ask mathematics to solve our math problems; we
apply those principles ourselves.
If you have a car, do you ask the
source from which you obtained your car to drive you to your destination for
you or do you operate it according to the rules of the road?
Jesus tells us we have the power to
heal. Do you ask God to heal you or
others, or do you apply those principles of healing yourself?
We apply them for ourselves.
In spiritual healing it is important
for us to be aware of the same thing as in math and having a car. We have the
power to heal and to do so we must use the principles of healing.
The clearer we are about the
principles amd their source, the more effective the results.
You may remember a man from the
movie, “The Secret.” His name is Dr. Joe Vitale. Dr. Viltale wrote a book, ZERO
LIMITS, and the story I am about to tell you comes from his book.
·
He heard a story about a therapist in
Hawaii who cured a complete ward of criminally insane patients--without ever
seeing any of them.
·
How did he do such a thing?
·
The psychologist would study an
inmate's chart and then look within himself to see how he created that person's
illness .(It would
take a book to address the assertion, “…he created that person’s illness.” For
now, we are just going to let that declaration go.) As he improved himself, the patient improved.
·
When Vitale first heard this story,
he thought it was an urban legend, it didn't make any sense, so he dismissed
the story.
·
H writes that he heard that story
again a year later… that this therapist used a Hawaiian healing process called
ho 'oponopono. Vitale says, I had to know more.
·
The therapist’s name is Dr. Hew Len.
·
He worked at Hawaii State Hospital
for four years.
·
Dr. Len said the ward where they kept
the criminally insane was dangerous.
·
Psychologists quit on a monthly
basis.
·
The staff called in sick a lot or
simply quit.
·
People would walk through that ward with
their backs against the wall, afraid of being attacked by patients.
·
It was not says Dr. Len, a pleasant
place to live, work, or visit.
·
Dr. Len went on to say that he never saw patients.
He agreed to have an office and to review their files, but he never saw
patients.
·
While he looked at those files, he
would work on himself. As he worked on himself, patients began to heal.
·
"After a few months, patients
that had to be shackled were being allowed to walk freely," Len told
Vitale.
·
"Others who had to be heavily
medicated were getting off their medications.
·
And those who had no chance of ever
being released were being freed and the staff began to enjoy coming to work.
·
Absenteeism and turnover disappeared.
·
Today, that ward is closed."
This is where I had to ask the million dollar question: "What were
you doing within yourself that caused those people to change?"
Dr. Len’s answer delves into perhaps,
the deepest of metaphysics. I am going to give you a kind of “superficial
answer.” We are just going to float on the pool of metaphysics this morning.
“Dr. Len explained that total responsibility for your life means that
everything in your life - simply because it is in your life--is your
responsibility.” (To extend love to) (made after the image and in the likeness
– confusion about this passage – God is Love, God extends, or radiates, love.
That’s our job, too. God’s love, true love, heals)
I’m going to tweak his answer just a
bit into something that can be used in a “more graspable” way; that total
responsibility for your life means that you are responsible for the feelings
you feel about everything in your life - simply because it is in your life—
“…that total responsibility for your life means that everything in your
life - simply because it is in your life--is your responsibility to extend love
to.”
We are, after all, made after the image and in the
likeness of God, God is Love, God extends, or radiates, love. That’s our job,
too. God’s love, true love, heals.
“This means that terrorist activity, the president, the economy--anything
you experience and don't like--is up for you to heal. The problem isn't with
them, it's with you, and to change them,
you have to change you.
I know this is tough to grasp, let alone accept or actually live. Blame
is far easier than taking responsibility
for your thoughts and feelings, but as I spoke with Dr. Len, I began to realize
that healing for him and in ho 'oponopono means loving yourself. If you want to
improve your life, you have to heal your life. If you want to cure anyone--even
a mentally ill criminal--you do it by healing you.
Loving yourself is the greatest way to improve yourself, and as you
improve yourself, you improve your world.
Suffice it to say that
whenever you want to improve anything in your life, there's only one place to
look: inside you.
"When you look, do it with
love."
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