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One of my friends in the Unity
church in Seattle (sometime in
the 50's) told me that an idea he
got during my (Unity's) sermon
resulted in his establishing his
own business as a cabinet maker.
I later had the pleasure of
seeing his beautiful work.
If even one person has a
similar experience from an idea
that comes to him in reading this
essay, that will be an example of
how to win through in such a time
as the present financial crisis.
(How we Unity writers love to
repeat the information that the
root meaning of crisis is
opportunity!)
My (Unity's) optimistic view
of humanity is valid because of
the facts concerning past
depressions and crises. But the
essential validity rests upon our
realization that human beings are
evolving, unfolding expressions
of God, the unfailing spiritual
creativity of life. Always, at a
time like this, knowledgeable
persons assure us that we will
come out of this because we
always have. This is what I am
saying. It isn't that I have not
felt justifiable concern (which
often helps us to use caution,
good judgment, and make wise
decisions), but I too know that
humanity is quite capable of
finding (or is it "clawing"?) our
way out of what - at this writing
- has its hopeless aspects. When
hopelessness, panic, runs its
course, hope, optimism,
confidence, good sense, step
in.
We Unity writers love also to
tell the story of how Charles
Fillmore, our co-founder, stepped
up to the plate and hit a home
run for practicing what he
preached. In some depression or
other, Unity was millions of
dollars in debt, so a financial
expert was added to the staff.
However, he steadily sounded the
negative analysis of the
situation. One day in a Board
meeting, Charles Fillmore rose to
the highest extension of his
stature and told the man that he
was through, that Unity was going
to practice Unity. I wish I had
the details of the timing of this
event, but the story is that an
about face began instantly and it
wasn't long before Unity was out
of debt.
There have been two sentences
running through my mind the last
couple of weeks: Franklin Delano
Roosevelt's famous words, "THE
ONLY THING WE HAVE TO FEAR IS
FEAR ITSELF," and Maria's words
in The Sound of Music as she
moved through anxiety on her way
to take the job of governess for
a widowed Sea Captain with how
many children?: "I HAVE
CONFIDENCE IN CONFIDENCE
ITSELF."
Faith and confidence are our
inner resources even when we feel
fear and doubt. It would probably
be difficult to discover which
courageous act of taking the risk
to "lend the money anyway," "put
our savings in a business we
think deserves it," etc. was the
first giant step for man that
ended a depression, or started
the end. But just having
confidence in confidence itself
may well have often been the
actual beginning!
Perhaps you and I could form
the consciousness committee to
get the ball rolling!
Except for our acceptance of
the idea that our expressing
confidence might in itself
contribute to the confidence of
others, you and I may actually
wonder what else we could do to
start the ball rolling. Just
because we are not at this moment
coming up with some new idea
doesn't mean that one might not
come to us IF WE WELCOME IT!
Here are two examples of doing
something significant in an
unlikely circumstance:
* Shortly after the end of
WWII, I came across the story of
how the US Airforce trained young
men in Africa to repair and
maintain airplane engines with no
previous training or experience
as mechanics.
* A week or two ago there
was an account on TV of a man in
India who taught untrained and
modestly-educated men of mixed
ages to do the technical work of
putting together small segments
of large solar panels that were
to supply enough electricity for
a large number of homes.
To me, the marvelous part of
what this man did was that he
simply taught them how to do this
specific work without thinking it
was necessary for them to be
college-educated in order for
them to understand his
instruction.
This was also true of the
example of the African
non-mechanics. In both cases,
these persons were respected for
their God-given intelligence.
Very often education is thought
to be the source of intellience.
It is not; education draws it
out, develops it, provides the
setting for us to discover the
intelligence that has always been
there!
So, in addition to some new
idea you or I might turn into
contributing to the
productiveness and prosperity of
humanity, these stories show us
that being optimistic about
humanity and the persons right
around us may lead to unexpected
and wonderful happenings.
Have I ever told you the story
Martha Smock, my first
letter-writing teacher in Silent
Unity and for years the editor of
Daily Word,related about the time
a friend came to her and thanked
her profusely for the help Martha
had given her? Martha asked her,
"What did I-do for you?" The
friend had divulged a problem she
was working on, and Martha had
simply responded with a typical
Unity answer. That was all her
friend needed.
A positive idea, a positive,
optimistic attitude and demeanor
may sometimes be enough to lift
someone out of a slump!
Don
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