Science of Mind

The bombings of Afghanistan have reminded me of my deep desire for peace. This has been a life time (or perhaps that is many life times) desire of my soul. As a young girl, I read about the holocaust and could not understand our inhumanity to each other. How could we look at another human being and not understand our inherit unity? As a teenager, I was confused about Vietnam. Young men were making decisions to serve or not to serve in the military and all of the decisions were hard. How could I support my friends in Vietnam and also want peace with all my heart. I know that the solders were people of good intention and were coming back changed in a deep way. The war seemed wrong but the peace movement seemed violent, I was divided. I was one of those people who was torn terribly because on one plane, I wanted our country to be strong, to be brave and I wanted the heroes who were the soldiers to be honored and, on another plane, I wanted peace and I wanted my friends not to be faced with the killing fields, I cried for peace within our world. I didn't know how to settle the questions within my mind.

Then came Desert Storm, I was older, wiser, had more practice with Spiritual work and had learned more about spiritual principles. I decided that every night for one hour before I went to bed that I would meditate on peace. I notice that Desert Storm was one of the shortest wars we've ever been in. I know that I was not alone in my meditations. Many people were praying nightly. I believe that our collective consciousness changed the course of events.

I came to understand that each soldier who was in the war was on the hero's journey and that it was not my place to judge them, it was my place to know that God, as that person, was discovering God. I remembered Krishna speaking to Arjuna on the mountaintop as they viewed the war in the valley below. The young prince thought it would be better if he just became a hermit and prayed, but Krishna told him it was his job to go into the battle and participate fully, his spiritual work was to remember both who he was and who the one he fought was, for they both were God.

What then is our individual role? I believe that it was and is again today, of upmost importance that each of us pray and meditate daily on peace. I believe that we must also begin to act as if we remember that not only is there God present within our individual self, but also within each other. We must begin to act in a manner that respects that God-Self. Never underestimate the power of the individual acting from peace of mind and heart to transform.

What would happen if we became instruments of peace? Robert Mueller in his book, "What War Taught Me About Peace," challenges us by saying "I cannot change 4.5 billion people, but I can change myself. If many people begin to be less violent, to speak better about others, to tell the truth, to be more understanding, to cooperate, then we will have a better world...be an active relentless, passionate, enthusiastic, inspired agent for the success of the tremendous cosmic, divine, human destiny and evolution unfolding on this planet in the vast universe." This starts when we decide to be peaceful ourselves, to act from that peace and to work for a peaceful world. Let us pray for the leaders of all nations to be guided by Divine Wisdom, and pray for a peaceful planet and let us know that Peace begins with each individual.

To this end our church is now holding Peace Meditations each Sunday evening at 6 PM. Come join us in co-creating our world. The East San Gabriel Valley Church is located at 5446 N. Citrus Avenue, Covina, CA. We are 1 mile south of the 210 freeway on the east side of Citrus Avenue just south of Gladstone. (626) 332-6838.

REV KRISTINA COLLINS • East San Gabriel Valley Church of Religious Science • 5446 N. Citrus Ave. • Covina, CA
(626) 332-6838 Website: http://SOMCHURCH.org

November 2001

Peace is Possible

by Rev. Kristina Collins