Divine Love reveals the Truth- April 2007

“Promise is most given when least is said” is a quote from George Chapman’s poem Hero and Leander. I take from this to mean that human promises are only as good as the actions of the person offering them. This would imply that there is no greater governing force or sense of guidance than one’s own conscience.

The Bible describes a correcting and guiding God in the 23^rd chapter of Psalms, one that comforts us with His rod and staff. A supreme Being governing each of His/Her children is such a joyous concept.

Recently, a friend of mine had done something to break a promise made to me. At first it was not revealed outright, but became apparent through indirect apologies and discussions.

I spent most of one day trying not to speculate about what was the “wrong doing” that was the reason for these vague apologies. I felt it right for the truth to be revealed and any wrongs to be corrected. At the same time it was a bit of a struggle to keep from feeling as though I’d be hurt as an outcome.

A helpful thought was “....if there is any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these” (Philippians 4:8). I prayed to know that this individual expressed the desire to be honest as evidenced by the promise.

This was helpful to recognize that my friend had been honest in the past and that this was proof of the inherent true nature as God’s child. No illusion of dishonesty could change that identity. In this way each of us has no choice but to express honesty and integrity.

I decided to send an email asking for an explanation of the apologies. As I wrote it, I found it challenging to keep it in a non-accusatory tone. So, I kept it simple.

The response from my friend was a denial of any apology. I decided not to send a reply at that time, but instead walked to a nearby grocery store. On the way there and on the way back, I tried to recognize the presence of divine Love in this situation.

I started with the idea that as a child of God I could not be harmed by the actions of another, because all good comes from God directly to me, not through others. So this claim of dishonesty could not take anything away from me. This helped a bit, but did not address my sense of unease with the actions of my friend.

The spiritual breakthrough came when I was walking back home. As I crossed in front of a church, I began to think of the magnitude of what Love really offers. I felt that it had to provide more than just a way to fix personal problems. I realized that I needed to raise my concept of divine Love beyond just how it would impact my situation. I needed to see a divine Love that is the very harmony that underlies all existence.

I felt a sense of warmth that comes to me when there seems to be a dawning of a higher understanding of God’s true nature. I just felt comforted in knowing that dishonesty is not allowed by divine Love. Love would not allow anyone to do anything contrary to the divine nature of Creation. Love would govern this situation.

I had been home only a few minutes when I got a phone call from my friend, who described what had happened and apologized for the dishonesty. Later in the conversation I asked when the idea came to tell me the truth, and the reply was “about 10 minutes ago”. This was about the same time as the thought of a greater sense of Love’s guidance was dawning for me.

It was nice that the dishonesty was uncovered and that harmony was restored. Much greater though, was a glimpse into the glorious truths that Mrs. Eddy shares with us in her quote “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need” (S&H 494). This experience, though not nearly as challenging as many situations around the world, gives me confidence to see that there is more to a promise than just a material mind expressing a willful desire. It is a connection to a higher sense of justice available to all.