The world is in a state of chaos and many of us are terrified. I, for many reasons, am not. Should I be? There seems to be so much at stake – our very freedom, our democracy, our very life in some cases. The fires in California brought home the impermanence of life. I am saddened by all the suffering. I want to reach out and help. Sometimes, all I can do is pray and just be there to listen. What’s really going on?

This is the question I ask myself, as I delve deeply into the teaching I fall back on – the Science of Mind. I have been studying and applying the Science of Mind to my life for almost 30 years now. I am not the same person I was when I began. I used to think all I had to do was think positively and I could have anything I wanted. I used to think I could snap things into manifestation. I used to think all I had to do is believe in the Law of Cause and Effect and my life would be perfect. This understanding of the Science of Mind was an infantile view of a Principle that is deep and life-transforming.

What is the Principle that I am talking about? I used to say that it was “We are spiritual beings living in a spiritual universe governed by our use of the Law of Cause and Effect.” True, what we put out comes back to us, but that, too, is an elementary understanding. What if I am putting out a lot of good thoughts and deeds and I lose my home in the recent California fires? Does that mean I’m a bad person or just didn’t do it right? This, too is a limited view of a Principle that is limitless.

Ernest Holmes the mystic and Founder of Religious Science once said this, and I think it might be the wisest thing he ever said. “When things look the worst is the time to do our best work.” I believe this is true and when things have looked the worst to me, I have most definitely done my best work. I had to dig deep into understanding who I am and the power of resilience, love and compassion. Since i do not believe that there is some outside force dolling out punishments and rewards, I understand that everything, and I mean everything that happens is happening through me and is about how I respond to it. I will not give up on the knowing that the Universe is for me and that evolution is pushing me forward always. If I gain anything at all from the Science of Mind, it is knowing that I am a spiritual being who is always evolving into a stronger and more vibrant version of myself. My soul is evolving.

We affect each other because we are entangled. We are evolving together. What’s happening in those fires in California is happening to me at the same time. My house might not be burning down, but my emotions and beliefs are being challenged at the same time. Because I am not totally physically immersed in the physical situation, I have the opportunity to raise consciousness by being active, creative and filled with joy for the life I am able to live right now. If we are all connected then my joy should give a lift to the magnetic field and help to give strength to those who are working so hard right now and suffering also. My compassion allows for ways for me to give physically, also.

We are going through a huge planetary shift right now. I believe I have to be fearless. I believe I have to dig deep into my beliefs about life and death. I believe I have to work even harder on loving myself and loving others no matter who they are, what they’ve done or how they are acting now. Judgement does not serve me now. Getting my own house in order does. The Science of Mind is a powerful teaching, but it must go beyond the words. It has to be lived fully. And, it must, like everything else evolve. It must stay current. What I am understanding by studying the history of religion and philosophy is that the needs of the time demand that the understanding and practice of spirituality must also grow and expand. My God is a current God or It is no God at all.

I could go on and on here, but really to put it simply the most important question we can ask ourselves is “Who am I?” Our answer will encompass both our weaknesses and our strengths. A real understanding of ourselves as ever-evolving individualizations of a Power that is infinite, I believe, will give us the compass to spiritually, emotionally and mentally grow in our journey. Everything is not as it seems and there is always more going on than we see with the physical eye. What do we feel? The great Cause of all life aback of everything can only be felt. It’s time to dive deeply into our own mental gardens. What Am I, REALLY?

Love and Aloha,

Rev. Dr. Rita Andriello, Author, Co-Spiritual Director CSL Kaua`i