Eternal Flowering »
In even months, we publish an excerpt from the vast wisdom collection of New Thought luminary, Dr. Ernest Holmes, founder of the Religious Science movement. The monthly teachings from Holmes are then summarized by Rev. Dr. David Alexander, spiritual director of Spiritual Living Center Atlanta.
You can check out his inspirational website and ministry at RevDavidAlexander.com. And pick up a copy of his book, “Freedom From Discord: The Promise of New Thought Liberation Theology.”
Below is his April 2025 “Philosophy in Action” column:
Spring, Eastertide and renewed expression of eternal life — how glorious is the new dawn this day! As we turn our attention to the warming season and expressions of new life within nature all around us, let us reflect on these thoughts from our founder, Dr. Ernest Holmes, about the principle of immortality.
Often that which we call new life is not new at all; rather, it is a new expression of an eternal reality. The life budding forth in my garden is not new; the life expressing in the trees is not new. These are only places where something that existed before is now expressing as these particular forms.
The bulbs in the garden had life within them before being planted, and when the conditions of the soil and bulbs came together, something new came into expression. Further, it stands to reason that when the flowers end their expression, the life that expressed as them did not die. It simply transformed to a new plane of existence.
How, then, shall we carry this wisdom with us as we journey through life? One way would be to remember that we are still connected to all those that have gone before us. While we may not see and interact with them in the same way, Spirit within them has evolved to a new expression — just as the Spirit in a newborn child does not die when the child grows older, yet how we interact and communicate with the child must change to meet the new circumstances.
The other consideration would be to ask, “What would you do if you knew you could not die?” I don’t mean for you to consider any daring feats of risky behavior. Rather, I would invite you to consider how you would show up in relationships, at your workplace, with friends and community. Would you be as concerned or obsessed with deadlines and performance? Or might your attitude change to being more fully present in the here and now, knowing that you don’t have to rush to get anywhere, that you have only to be right here, right now?
Contemplate these things and more as you take time to smell the roses this month.
