"Through all of human history, reason, love, truth, harmony, peace have never disappeared from human hearts and hopes."

(1) What do you feel the word “creation” implies?

From a mortal, material standpoint, creation infers a beginning, and of necessity, an ending. Mortal existence. Or getting less material, such as an artistic creation might be, it infers something never seen or known before, an idea that becomes something tangible. A book, a painting, a building. But even then, the “new” thing can quickly become yesterday’s news, out of style, old fashioned, stale, obsolete. It also eventually has a demise.

From a spiritual, God-centered standpoint, creation implies process rather than an end result, because God’s creation is never ending, never beginning, always active. God’s creation isn’t separate from the Creator (like a work of art), but almost symbiotic, creator and creation requiring the other for wholeness. God’s creation is always original, always beautiful, never ending.


(2) Impressions of the chapter on creation:

“God is not separate from the wisdom He bestows.” (SH 6:5-6) We are wise, true, good, expressing life, because God is the originator of these qualities and we reflect them. Therefore, mortal man is not a creator of anything, but God’s spiritual reflection/creation has infinite access to infinite new ideas.

Cause and Effect. Man is the natural effect of Spirit, Mind, Life, the only Cause. I don’t make myself better to be worthy of acceptance into God’s kingdom. Rather my existence is required to naturally reflect God’s absolute Goodness. I am the effect of the Creator’s perpetual creative activity. I couldn’t separate myself from God’s kingdom if I tried.


(3) How can this increased understanding make a difference in my life? How is the truth of creation being demonstrated in my life?

The mortal scene now can be so troubling, can feel like evil and discord are becoming powerful and inevitable. Yet thinking of the really short span of human history, this sort of thing has a pattern of coming and going, rising to power, falling out of power. It doesn’t have any bearing on the reality we know of God’s creation. Through all of human history, reason, love, truth, harmony, peace have never disappeared from human hearts and hopes, and have sustained people in the most dire times. Those who have seen the light are sustained by it through seeming darkness.

The ongoing theme of my spiritual journey of late has been a strong desire to know myself, who I am, why I am here. And for that matter, where exactly HERE is. The chapter on Creation was completely spot on, but for that matter, the answers to my questions are continually coming to me from every direction. The more I watch and pray, the more I’m seeing the effects of God’s creation and all of us as part of it. How much more meaningful the weekly Bible Lesson is, or words from non-Science sources as well.  Recently a newspaper advice columnist responded to a questioner, “make room for answers to find their way to you.” These words can mean many different things, but at that moment they were exactly what I needed to affirm. Making room to me meant holding to the truth of my own spiritual existence and not fearing any power part from God. And by golly, answers do come when I’m in that receptive place. I’m watching my two grown children express a sense of home that had eluded them for decades. And with that, a peaceful sense of their own purpose and goodness. This makes a mom very happy, of course, but it also affirms yet again what I continue to learn about who and what I am, my reason for being who and what I am, and where I am. As I am able to embrace those truths for myself, I’m able to do so for my neighbor and fellow man as well. The inevitable result is freedom from alarm or sorrow or fear as the daily human events make their feeble pleas for my attention.