Just read a column by Frank Rich in the Sunday New York Times and it has sparked this blog post. It quoted the well-respected concentration camp survivor, Elie Wiesel who lost millions to Bernie Madoff, as saying, "We thought he was God." Note the capital "G". In case any of you do not recall who Madoff is, he's the man who ran the Ponzi scheme that raked in billions from trusting investors, which he never even invested. Trusting him speaks to precisely the mistake of millions who have been putting something else in the place God should--and it gets clearer and clearer--must occupy with us.
I raised some of these issues last year in this blog on the need to turn back to God/get first things first/heed Jesus' words on excess/build on rock instead of sand. One can think of all kinds of Biblical quotations--warnings--on the very topic. And I know, with the wonderful response you've just given to "Christian Science--What a Treasure" that you will have comments to make on this timely topic. I can't wait to see what you offer up from your own experience in striving to follow Christ as our Leader followed Christ.
I've chosen the theme of turning back to God--not turning to--purposely as even those who feel they've been apart from God all their lives, and have never turned to Him in the first place, are in fact His offspring, inseparable from Him, though materiality has hidden this from them. The Science of Christ, Christian Science, makes this plain in its teachings. "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" states that Jesus came to reveal our oneness with God and that it is sin--worldliness in all its subtle and tempting phases--which seem to come between a person and His Maker. Thank God, Jesus' teachings as reiterated in Christian Science are the way one may awake to his unbroken relationship with his heavenly Father.
And speaking of Mary Baker Eddy, one cannot leave out the By-law that calls for "wisdom, economy, and brotherly love." There was a time when that was not one of my favorite requirements, I can truthfully report. Like so many people, if pressed to choose between Jesus' God and mammon, I would have veered toward the latter. Had the mistaken notion that existence was about making money and leading the good life. Of course, as it always does if one is sincere in obeying God's commands, the day came when the "serving God" part moved in front of the "getting more mammon" part. And as happens with doing this, life has become more simple, less cluttered with things not needed, happier, freer. So much progress has been made along these lines, I actually see raindrops hanging from tree branches as riches from His hand, like tiny little diamonds to me. Would rather have these than jewels.
Albert Einstein was quoted as saying, "Can anyone imagine Jesus armed with the moneybags of Carnegie?" No, one cannot, and this only points to what should be uppermost, today as never before. And this is leading a life of Christly loving and giving--not getting for oneself.
I will turn this over to you for whatever you have to share on the vital topic of turning back to God in this what is bound to be momentous, course-correcting year.
