Teach me!!!

 This morning in reading a poem by Louise Knight Wheatly called, “Teach me to love”¹, I began to pray those same words. But it grew from there. It was more than ‘teach me to love’. But also, ‘teach me how to pray, to think, to serve, to give, to share, to forgive’! TEACH ME! 

A prayer of frustration, perhaps, but one from a meek heart, a yearn to see things from a higher perspective, the standpoint of Love.

In looking up the word ‘meek’ in several dictionaries I found the definition I had been looking for for years. It was ‘teachable, the ability to be taught’.

In times of need, how we long for better ways. When things are not working out, how we wish for better thoughts, activities, expressions of love. When we see how lacking our own personal views are, how we treasure those times of spiritual growth. It all comes from the meekness, the teachable attitude, the waiting to learn a higher expression of life as God reveals His Life to us.

Through that desire, that meekness, those moments of deep desire, when we finally get tired of trying to do things from our own lacking personal beliefs, we turn to the highest source, God, Mind, divine Life itself for all the answers.

At times in life we are brought down to our knees both figuratively and literally. But these moments of childlike cries of need we are brought up higher. Higher not in our own selfish view of a ‘me’ or ‘I’, but of God’s highest view of His perfect creation, Man.

The sincere cry, “Teach me” has been prayed throughout the ages. We read David’s plea throughout his Psalms, “Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.”² “Teach me thy way, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.”³ “Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.”⁴ Just to share a few of his many “teach me” prayers.

Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians states, “Pray without ceasing.”⁵ Our constant thoughts of ‘ceaseless prayer’ can and should include, ‘Teach me, O Lord’. But it can also be the acknowledging, the affirmation, ‘You do teach me, O Lord, Your perfect ways. You do lead me by Your still thoughts about me and all. You show forth Your constant Love. You are my God, in You I do forever trust.’

Mary Baker Eddy states, “In order to pray aright, we must enter into the closet and shut the door. We must close the lips and silence the material senses. In the quiet                  sanctuary of earnest longings, we must deny sin and plead God's allness. We must resolve to take up the cross, and go forth with honest hearts to work and watch for wisdom, Truth, and Love. We must "pray without ceasing." Such prayer is answered, in so far as we put our desires into practice.
       The Master's injunction is, that we pray in secret and let our lives attest our sincerity.”⁶

God knows all, does all, expresses all Good through man. Let us turn to Him for all things. Let us let Him teach us today what He is and what we reflect of Him. Let us meekly turn to Him ready to be taught His Love, His ways, His strength and ability. Let us let these teachable moments lift us above all to the highest views of God.

I need Thee every hour,
Most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford.

Refrain
I need Thee, O, I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Saviour,
I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour;
Stay Thou near by;
Temptations lose their power
When Thou art nigh.
Refrain

I need Thee every hour;
Teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promise, Lord,
In me fulfill.
Refrain⁷

Gentle hugs

1 Poem entitled “Teach me to Love” written for the Christian Science Journal and published in 1908
2-4 The King James Version of They Holy Bible Psalms 25 vs. 4; 86 vs. 11; 119 vs. 33
5 ibid I Thessalonians 5 vs. 17
6 Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy pg. 15 lines 14-24
7 Christian Science Hymnal No. 137

Prayer and concern for all

The Mayor of Boston answered the question concerning the condition of the bombing suspect, “Who cares?” 

I care…

We are taught that we must pray for everyone. Not just the ‘deserving’, but everyone. 

Christ Jesus, when asked why he sat with Publicans and sinners, stated, “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”¹

We need to see that as examples of the Christ we must care.  To have great compassion for all of the people who have endured this heinous act, must include this young man, his brother, and their family.  They were lead into temptation to be a part of this horrific act. But to exclude him from our prayers doesn’t serve our higher purpose. 

It is hard at first to think of including ‘perpetrators of evil’ in our prayers. But over time it becomes natural. It is in our loving and compassionate nature.  It is our duty. In the long run, through meekness, sincerity, and obedience, it becomes a part of our joy to serve ALL mankind. We do not actually get to pick and choose who deserves prayer.

What would happen if, as shocked as this young man’s uncle is, it was a family member of ours? Impossible? That is what this family was thinking as well. Wouldn’t we want to be included in the healing prayers of the Christ? Wouldn’t we want to be embraced by the ever forgiving Love of God?

In praying this week about this issue the question came to me, “Does God love Jesus more than Judas?” At first the natural thought was, ‘Yes.’ But then I stopped to think about Habakkuk, in the Old Testament of the King James Version of the Holy Bible.  It reads, “The burden of Habakkuk the prophet did see. O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! Even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!  …Then shall his mind change, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god. Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, thou has ordained them for judgment; and, O mighty God, thou has established them for correction. Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity:…”³

At first Habakkuk thought that all evil was being seen and agreed with by God. This was upsetting to him until his understanding changed. Then he realized that God is of ‘purer eyes than to behold evil’ and doesn’t “look on iniquity”. This revealed to me that God sees all of His idea, Man (and Woman), beloved, cared for, lifted above all wrongs and evils, to His standpoint of thought and action.

We may not see this occur in this young man, yet,…but we might. Look at the example of Saul who crucified Christians. He took them into captivity, abused them…he then was turned into Paul for God’s use to be a huge spiritual leader in the Christ activity later.

The answers to our prayers must come from a deeper study concerning God’s love.  If God had favorites then God’s Love would be on the same platform as bad human parenting. If God loves one more than the other, then almost everyone in the Bible from Adam to Paul would have been condemned and pushed far away from Him. We all know what Adam did to get kicked out of the Garden of Eden (but that was for his own ‘protection’ according to the Jehovah God). Abram before and after his name change to Abraham had his wife lie. He had her say that she was his sister to save his life. But this just about got other men in terrible trouble. Moses killed a man prior to leading the Israelites out of bondage. David had a husband killed in battle so he could have the man’s wife. Jonas didn’t obey and spent time in a whales belly…Saul became the “vessel”² of God even after  he killed and took into captivity the very people that he later became, a Christian. His life turned from accuser to preaching and converting others to, Christianity.

In meekness we too can pray and serve this Higher Purpose who sees no iniquity in any of us. It is our duty our privilege, to serve this all-inclusive Love, who excludes no one and loves all. Some things we are taught and we must follow that may not always be very easy. But each command is important, imperative.

The sixth tenet in Christian Science is, “And we solemnly promise to watch, and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus; to do unto others as we would have them do unto us; and to be merciful, just and pure.”⁴

Let us do this always. Let us do it without personal judgment or simulation. Let us love Love enough to be ever vigilant and obedient.  When we learn “Love thy neighbor as thy self” AND “Do unto others as you would have them do unto us” there are no clauses to who may be excluded.

 "As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways:"5

Gentle hug
1 The King James Version of the Bible Matthew 9 vss. 12 (They), 13
2 ibid Acts 9 vs. 15
3 ibid Habakkuk 1 vss. 1-3 and 11-13
4 Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy 497 line 26
5 The King James Version of the Bible Ezekiel 33 vs 11 (As; to second ;)