How can we explain God? In my first Metaphysics class, I was given a clear Unity definition that I reference whenever I try to explain the BIGNESS of God: God is Omnipresence (everywhere present), Omnipotence (all Power) and Omniscience (all Knowledge). Notice the tense of these words: not Omnipotent, but Omnipotence, delineating the difference between "all powerful" and "all Power." I also look to our first Unity basic principle which states: God is Good. Let's take a further look into what EB has to say about God in UQT.
EB claims that to "define a thing is to limit it," (p. 29-30) and I agree. There is the experience of God that goes beyond words, like the energy we feel when we come together for Sunday service, the sense of sacred space in our prayer room with the chaplains. Can you put words to that amazing feeling? Unity does not ask that you accept a certain definition of God, but invites you to find your own. So, what is our history of understanding God?
In order to define God, Christian tradition looks to the words and stories of the Bible. The Bible reflects our human understanding and relationship with God throughout the ages. The God depicted in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) was "stern, autocratic, and sometimes cruel God, a God of vengeance who destroyed whole cities with all their inhabitants." (p. 31) The evolution of our understanding of God is apparent in Jesus' relationship with God as a loving Father.
In John 10:30, Jesus shares His greatest statement of Truth: "The Father and I are One." Jesus revealed in His ministry that we can do the things that he has done and greater, and that His healings occurred through the power of God within the person healed: "Your Faith has made you whole." (Mark 5:34) Unity is "concerned more with finding the consciousness of oneness with God, and then seeking to express God in thought, word, and act." (UQT p. 33) Let's take a closer look at the concept of Oneness.
In Charles Fillmore's (Unity's co-founder) quest for spiritual unfoldment, he stated: “In this babble I will go to headquarters. If I am Spirit and this God they talk about so much is Spirit, we can somehow communicate, or the whole thing is a fraud.” He set aside an hour each evening to be still and commune with God. He eventually did, and the Unity teachings focus on our ability to commune with God in prayer and meditation, thus experiencing our Oneness with Spirit. EB states that "Unity is probably the most difficult religious discipline in the world -- simply because you are face-to-face with God and with yourself." (p. 41) I also find that this discipline is truly rewarding.
While EB claims the Bible as Unity's primary text, I have found that it is important to include other Unity books as primary texts in our Truth studies to understand the message of Unity. I read many Unity books before my studies brought me back to the Bible, and I found they have allowed me to evolve in my spiritual understanding so that I was open to see the message of the Bible with fresh eyes and find its message for me in the present moment.
What Unity books have most inspired you? I would say that Charles Fillmore's The Twelve Powers and the Metaphysical Bible Dictionary would be considered primary texts. Please comment on what others you might add to this list.
I love Butterworth's "Discover the Power Within You." I found myself both highlighting and underlining text from this book! His message to "let your light shine" is simple and inspiring. Of course, I've yet to read a Butterworth book that I didn't love :-)
ReplyDeleteWhile not a book, Rev. Ed Townley's archived podcasts titled The Bible Alive on Unity.FM have acted as primary texts for me. They really help frame the Bible from a Unity perspective.
ReplyDeleteAnd while I haven't read it [yet! I have it...] I'd assume his book, Meditations on the Mount would serve as one for me as well. He's an excellent, excellent spiritual thinker within the Unity Movement.