“God is closer than breathing, and nearer than hands and feet.”
~ Alfred Lord Tennyson ~

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“I am the way and the truth and the life.”
~ John 14:6 ~

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“Through spiritual discernment, we see that we have within us a power which is greater than anything we shall ever contact; a power that can overcome every obstacle in our experience and set us safe, satisfied, and at peace, healed and prosperous in a new light and a new life.”
~ Ernest Holmes, The Science of Mind p.146.2 ~

Oral history is not always factual, but often an allegory or metaphor, inasmuch as the storyteller may add a little “color” to enhance the story being told. Or, they may add a bit of “yeast” to expand the main point being conveyed. This innocent hyperbole has a tendency to keep the interest of the listener alive.

It was in the mid-1970s that I first heard about the origin of “What We Believe”, also called “The Declaration of Principles,” that is recited in Religious Science communities. I was deeply impressed when hearing the story of Ernest Holmes’ spontaneity, wisdom, and clear articulation as he spoke about what his heart and soul embraced. He expressed with conviction, what he believed to be the Truth about God, the Universe, humanity, and the unlimited possibilities stretched before us all.

The story goes that a reporter, interviewing Holmes, asked him about the fundamental beliefs of the spiritual philosophy he was teaching. It is said that Holmes paused and reflected on the inquiry before speaking. After a few minutes, he reached for a nearby brown paper bag and tore it open. With pencil in hand, he began writing. The following is the first of thirteen principles or beliefs he shared that day.

“I believe in God, the living Spirit Almighty; one, indestructible, absolute, and self-existent Cause.”
Imagine for a moment, that this all-powerful God that Holmes describes is the Presence that is the very essence of our being; i.e., the Self that is the “I” that “I AM” indwelling humanity, and is the life force of every individual.

“This One manifests Itself in and through all creation, but is not absorbed by Its creation.”
Imagine “this One” that Holmes speaks about is an infinite and creative mind in whom we live, move, and have our being. This field of pure energy out pictures in the physical world, all that It accepts as truth. Imagine this Power is never exhausted, always creating out of Itself, and is never limited by what has gone before.

“The manifest universe is the body of God; it is the logical and necessary outcome of the infinite self-knowingness of God.”
Imagine that everything you experience in the world is the sum total of the collective thoughts and beliefs humanity has embodied about itself; and, the subsequent choices humanity has made.

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While the story of the brown paper bag is charming and got my attention right away; it is the changeless principle of Oneness, when understood and practiced that is the life-changing fact. It is through meditation and practicing the presence of God that we come to a realization that it is our very own all-powerful inner voice, whose pronouns are “me” and “I” that is the ceaseless, creative activity of Spirit; i.e., the very Source that gives birth to the people, places, and things all around.

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This Weeks Affirmation
“My thoughts, words, and actions contribute to a peaceful world.”

https://www.unity.org/article/monthly-affirmations-unity