Ken’s “POETIC POSTLUDE” for “UNREALITY”

Ken Cooper’s “POETIC POSTLUDE” shares Bible EXAMPLES of the unreality of anything unlike God!
from the Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson on “UNREALITY” for April 3, 2022

• Ken’s YouTube poem “The Chaff and the Wheat” does away with matter.
• The monologue The Shunamite: “It is Well”  illustrates that obedience to God places the balance of thought mightily in the power of the one infinite God.
• In the poem, “Love: A Parent’s Revelation”, Peter’s wife’s mother also felt the impact of divine Love as expressed by Jesus.
  

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[Ken:] “Open up my mind, and let my eyes behold, the beauty and wonder of all that You have done, the perfect expression of your teachings and instruction!”  This Golden Text is fulfilled in Bible citation 9   “Then the eyes of those who see, My creation, will never be closed or dimmed, but will always see, and the ears of those who hear, My creation, will always listen and understand My Word.” (Isaiah 32:3 combined translations). What more can we ask for than beholding the reality, the substance and beauty, of what God is.

[Ken wrote:] “When I was studying  a management training course many years ago, I remember the comment that if we had 100,000 thoughts in a day, and 50,001 were negative, our lives would be negative, and vice versa. In other words the balance of our thinking directly impacted on our lives and our experiences. Mrs Eddy writes “As a man thinketh, so is he.”  (S&H p. 166:3) This is brought in to sharp focus in this week’s lesson on Unreality, with the Golden Text stating “Many useless promises, gushing floods of words, are as many useless and empty dreams; they mean nothing and are completely worthless. You should respect and reverence God, worshipping Him alone.” (Golden Text, combined translations). Put bluntly, if we focus our thoughts on what is worthless and empty, our lives become worthless and empty, and vice versa. When we focus our thoughts on the reality of what we are, we experience the glory and fullness of what God is. Unreality is exposed as an empty dream.

This is so important in the present state of world affairs. I found myself listening to the news, taking it all in, when the thought came, – am I spending my time listening to this, or making sure I am spending more time in effective prayer,  in support of the world’s needs. Where was the balance of my thinking? The Responsive Reading was a great help, for it shows what God is thinking (and what therefore I am reflecting): “I am certain that nothing that God does can ever be changed. What God does, is, and will be for ever as He made it, – perfect in every way and always fulfilling its unique holy purpose. Look on and be in awe!” (RR combined translations). What was I accepting as true? The actions of mortal man or the actions of God, which are complete and inviolable?

The poem “The Chaff and the Wheat” does away with matter.  When challenged by the material picture, let the Wind of Spirit, the breath of God, blow away its false claims to reveal the reality and permanence of what God is.

“The mountains and the hills once large,
are simply now no more!
What remains is spiritual,
God’s eternal treasure store!”

What are the mountains and hills in our lives? How much reality are we giving them? When looked at through the eyes of spiritual understanding they have no presence, for the omnipresence of God, good, is where true substance lies. When Elisha was threatened by the earthquake, wind and fire, God was not there, but was in the still small voice of Truth, understanding, true power, and the eternal beauty of Life which cannot be taken from us. Whenever we feel threatened, know that God is never threatened, and therefore neither are we. We are as God made us:

“Awake O man to all you are,
from sleep and dust be free!
Awake to hear the Word of God:
“Dear Child, you’re just like me!!” ”

WE ARE ALWAYS THE REFLECTION OF ONE INFINITE GOD. THIS IS REALITY. THE IMAGE CANNOT CHANGE FROM ITS ORIGINAL. THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO WHICH TO CHANGE.

BECAUSE GOD IS INFINITE, THERE IS NO UNREALITY, ONLY GOD AND HIS EXPRESSION.

The Word of God has spoken to us all throughout the ages. In Sections 2 and 3 it speaks to Elijah, then Elisha, prophets who wore the spiritual mantle of Science. This mantle brought the reality of God’s presence to smother all empty dreams. Obedience to God places the balance of thought mightily in the power of the one infinite God. This is illustrated in the monologue The Shunamite: “It is Well” read by Sue. It shows the steadfastness of the Shunamite refusing to believe the material picture and being rewarded. It shines with the proof of God’s love for his creation. “Divine Love always has met, and always will meet every human need.” (SH Citation 13, 494:10-11). [This is one of three quotations allowed in the Manual for presentation on church walls (see My. 214:5)]. Love makes an unreality of anything discordant, for Love is already always there.  Towards the end of the monologue the Shunamite says: “I looked again at Elisha. His eyes were shining with the light of Love,
the proof of Life. The angel thought came once again “It is well”, and I sensed his thought “With God, it always is well”……. “ I breathed deeply. It always is well. Thank you Elisha. Thank you Father. Thank you Father-Mother God.”

What a good demonstration she gives us of holding fast to the truth, and not being swayed by the material picture.  “It is well” is the truth we can know, and leave it for Divine Love to provide for our needs in the way Love knows best. The ALLNESS OF GOD, LOVE, IS THE NOTHINGNESS OF ANYTHING ELSE. Section 3 shows how Divine Love indeed restored everything to the Shunamite, as it will do now for every human need.

Peter’s wife’s mother also felt the impact of divine Love as expressed by Jesus.  In the poem, “Love: A Parent’s Revelation”, again read by Sue, we hear of her initial scepticism about Jesus, but when she was in need she was receptive to the Christ outreach, and not only was her need met, but she was able to instantly minister unto Jesus and his disciples.

“How can I describe the Love that radiates from this man?

I am healed!
And I can’t now remember that anything was ever wrong! I just go and help, and with such joy!”

This is the true nature of man, unaffected by the empty dream of matter, bearing witness to God. And the effect of letting Divine Love rule our lives was experienced in her further comments. Imagine being a witness to all the healings of Jesus, seeing the deaf, dumb, blind, crippled all immediately made well! What happened to the illnesses? Why didn’t Jesus ask about them, warn people about the convalescence that may be required? What is there to fear about nothing?

“I can feel the everlasting kindness of God right now.
I behold for the first time God’s true family. His Love embraces and includes us all. And it is my
family too.
And suddenly realise that I love Peter, I love everyone, more than I ever did before.”

Beholding the perfect man, we see God, and vice versa…

“Whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, not anything taken from it:” (Responsive Reading) We are complete, and there is nothing can take this away. When we see man as the reflection of Love this blows away the chaff from all men, and sets man free.

WHEN WE KNOW THE ALLNESS OF GOD, THAT IS ALL THERE IS TO KNOW. THIS IS REALITY, AND THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS UNREALITY. IT HAS NO EXISTENCE FOR GOD IS “I AM THAT I AM”. (One of Ken’s poems in the Christian Science periodicals.)

Copies of the poems are available in pdf format in color and B&W as DOWNLOADS at the bottom of the online version of this Poetic Prelude to this week’s Bible Lesson. The full range of Ken’s videos on YouTube can be found on KenGCooperPoetry.  All Ken’s poetry and other writings can be found on Ken Cooper Poetry. (Links work on Metaphysical page).

Write to Ken on kengcooper@btinternet.com.