Celebrating New Beginnings

By Ernest Holmes

New arts, new sciences, new philosophies, better government and a higher civilization wait on our thoughts. The infinite energy of Life, and the possibility of our future evolution, work through our imagination and will.

The time is ready, the place is where we are now, and it is done unto all as they really believe and act.

Three Reasons for Hope

For decades, perhaps centuries, to come, historians will examine the confluence of forces that comprised 2020. From natural disasters to demands for racial justice, from unbearable loss due to an unrelenting pandemic to the collective grief that ensued, humankind faced more than we thought we could bear.

In reflecting on the year, Rev. Dr. Jesse Jennings offers three reasons for hope:

First, he writes, “We know things are now all right, so we have some inner ideal already, some mental/emotional equivalent of pure happiness and mutual respect to which our experience is not presently conforming.”

Second, “We know we have people around us who love us. … We have somebody else who wants the best for us and is not hesitant to say and show this.”

Third, “We have the winds of spiritual evolution at our backs. … The unconditional sort of love the Infinite has for the various parts of Itself that you and I are is the love that transforms all.”

Jennings encourages us to live up to this moment. “A tangible reality of equality and heartfelt solidarity unseen before in human history is unfolding around us,” he adds, “inviting us in.”

— Read Jennings’ full article, “Living Up to This Moment,” in the January 2021 issue of Science of Mind magazine.

Nuclear Weapons Treaty

Begins January 22

On January 22, 2021, the United Nations’ Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will enter into force. To mark the day nuclear weapons become illegal under international law, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and other anti-nuclear activists worldwide will host a range of actions and activities.

As ICAN’s website states, “A single nuclear warhead could kill hundreds of thousands of people, with lasting and devastating humanitarian and environmental consequences.” Today, 40 countries possess nearly 14,000 nuclear weapons.

On what is called “Enter Into Force Day,” concerned citizens in cities across the United States and the world will join together to advocate for a nonnuclear future. To find activities or events in your area, visit https://www.icanw.org/events.

Upgrading Our Ethos

Rev. Kevin Kitrell Ross grew up and remains in the New Thought community. As someone deeply steeped in the teachings, he is compelled to question to sturdiness of our teachings and their capacity to meet the call of our times.

In the January 2021 issue of Science of Mind magazine, he writes: “Upon careful reflection and reexamination of our core New Thought teachings, I clearly found that we articulate and espouse the divinity of humanity, the oneness of all people and the unity of all life.”

He adds, “For our teaching to serve the call of our times, we must upgrade our ethos and interpret it beyond the individualistic values of ‘I’ and ‘me’ to the community-centric values of ‘us’ and ‘we.’”

When asking themselves why they should awaken to their divine nature, Ross and his congregation at Unity of Sacrament answered: “So that we may be a force for good in the world.”

“This way of seeing ourselves” he writes, “grounds us deeply in the quest for right action and challenges us to put feet to our faith through awakened spiritual and social activism. … This level of engagement moves us into bold and courageous engagement, where our lives reflect, reveal and embody the way to a world that works for all. Thus, in this way, action truly speaks louder than words.”