We Gather to Affirm the Light »
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.
Below is his December 2024 “Philosophy in Action” column:
Oh, how I love this time of year! As fall turns to winter, we seek new sources of light and inspiration to guide us through. Life has been unfolding this way for humanity for centuries, across various cultures, traditions and customs.
If your heart has grown cynical of the this over-commercialized version of the season, then I invite you to pause and consider the ways in which it’s simply a metaphor for the universal longing of the human spirit to know itself again. Ernest Holmes, like many other mystics and teachers, was able to see this deeper truth and draw on the powerful imagery and creative storytelling presented in the gospels as deeper invitations for our souls’ illumination.
Holmes reminds us that the creative law of the universe is activated by our word. As such, it is up to us to articulate the experiences we desire. Our word, he says, does not do anything on its own. It “does not compel, but permits” the law
into action.
Perhaps it’s wise to slow down this season and consider just what we’ve permitted into our lives, into our consciousness, and what we’ve affirmed by subconscious agreement or passive allowance.
It’s safe to say many of us would find some unwanted ideas, thoughts or constructs leering in the foreground of our mind. Yet these are not ideas we need to feel regret, shame or anxiety about. Rather, Holmes reminds us that through the power of our creative thought and word, we can affirm the reality we desire. What we affirm will grow, and the law will eliminate what’s not in alignment.
It’s no surprise that for centuries, at this time of year, humanity has gathered to affirm the light, to welcome the birth of new possibilities and to rekindle hope, faith, peace and love. Let’s affirm together that peace is possible, new light is born and with it all the beauty and divinity we can conceive of is made flesh in you.
