On Being a Spiritual Realist

In the November 2023 Science of Mind magazine, CSL Spiritual Leader Rev. Soni Cantrell-Smith makes a bold statement. She says she is a spiritual realist. What does that mean? “In a world filled with diverse beliefs and philosophies, being a spiritual realist entails striking a delicate balance between the intangible and the tangible,” she writes.

This perspective helps her acknowledge the depths of spiritual dimensions, while keeping herself grounded in life's practical realities. “As a spiritual realist,” she adds, “I continually seek to understand the interplay between the material and the spiritual, recognizing that both are integral aspects of the human experience.

“For me,” she says, “this is the definition of wholeness. … It encourages a lifelong journey of self-discovery, compassion and continuous learning.” As she contemplates the realities of the mundane, the sacred and the profane, being a spiritual realist enables her “to remain open to the mysteries of life, while integrating spirituality with the practicalities of the world.”

As Ernest Holmes wrote, she remains “open at the top.”

— Read the full column in the November 2023 Science of Mind magazine.

Seeing the Sacred Everywhere

Seeing the sacred everywhere can prove easy when we're out in nature, but, as Petra Weldes writes, “Boy, can it be hard to see it in people, especially in the messes they make.” In the November magazine, she says, “While I have always known people weren't actually evil, I certainly judged many of them as if they were, especially when I had judgment, anger or hate in my heart.

“The idea of oneness was easy to see in the forest, but harder for me to perceive at the mall.”

As Weldes explores this month's theme, she writes, “In Science of Mind, we see these aspects of life as interconnected. The sacred is available everywhere, even in the mundane. The profane is not separate from either and may even be a doorway to growth. Everything is a part of the one whole.”

She acknowledges this can be difficult to grasp and even harder to live. “But,” she says, “it is essential to spiritual growth. When we perceive the sacred in the ordinary moments, we experience a deeper sense of meaning and connection in our lives. And when we begin to perceive Spirit behind the person who is acting out in a profane way, this becomes an opportunity for personal growth and spiritual practice.”

She offers some practices for how to find the interconnections among the mundane, the sacred and the profane, including:

• Observe from the viewpoint that we are all created in the image and likeness of Universal Spirit.
• Seek to engage with everyone and the universe from a deep sense of connection.
• Seek to see the sacred in the ordinary routines of life.
• Explore any confrontation with the profane as an opportunity for growth and practice.

“Every time you perceive the sacred in the mundane and the profane,” she writes, “you are living in the world from oneness and bringing wholeness to the forefront. Experiment with this way of seeing the world and see how it changes your perspective. You will discover that Spirit is closer and more available than you think.”

—Excerpted from the November 2023 Science of Mind magazine.

The potential possibility of what we call the highest and the lowest is inherent in everything. They are not different things. They are the same thing functioning at different levels. — Ernest Holmes, “The Science of Mind,” page 124