Chapter 10
The Power of the Word
1. The visible universe is but the externalization of thoughts. Man, a spiritual word or thought, has existed from the beginning. Hence in reality man’s higher self is spiritual. He is life and intelligence expressed. He thinks and his thoughts become objective as forms. These forms are of many grades of density, or as the physical scientist would say, molecular vibration. The real man is not of any of these forms; he is the force that causes the forms to exist, and when he knows this, every phase of phenomenal life comes under his dominion. Thus spiritual science teaches that only limited results can be obtained by studying the body or any of its conditions. The body has its origin in the mind and can be successfully regulated only from that point.
2. The Bible dwells upon the power of the word, from Genesis to Revelation, and it is surprising that the traditional church has not discovered that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” John says what all mystics have said, that only the Word existed in the beginning and by it were all things created. The Greek word Logos used by John, which is generally translated word, has a double meaning. It means not only the expression of the divine word, but the word based on pure reason or logic. Logos is in fact the root of our word logic. Thus, we are to understand not only that God created by the power of the Word, but that Word also included logical consistency. That is, God being Spirit, as a logical sequence His creations must be spiritual. We thus arrive at a concise and rational conclusion that all of man that is permanent must of necessity be spiritual. Knowing this to be true and also that the only permanent creation must in some way express the words of Truth, man has but to think right thoughts in order to come into harmonious surroundings.
3. Nearly every day something that appears new (but which in reality is old) is brought before us. There are in our world today many things of which we knew nothing a few years ago. These things are not new; they have merely come into expression. The world and all that tire world contains were created in the beginning. At one time we had nothing to do with the control of electricity, but now we make it one of our servants. It has been given us for our use; we can direct it, and yet we do not know what it is. What we think we know involves so much we do not know that we can hardly say that we really know anything. Yet those who believe in God know that everything is possible with Him. When we come to believe this, we are not astonished at anything. We begin to live; our minds are opened more and more, and we expect wonderful new things to come to us day by day.
4. In everything we have to consider time, but the time necessary for doing a thing is shortened through understanding. In the old way of studying, it took years to learn arithmetic; now we find that there are short cuts to learning arithmetic. We are beginning to wonder where this elimination of time will stop. We are almost taken off our feet with the new ideas of what we are, for we are learning that we are not what we seem to be. We are not solid flesh and blood; we are really mind and spirit. The more quickly we find this out, the more quickly we apply it in our lives; so our world changes.
5. What we call disease is lack of harmony in the organism. When we touch the Christ state of consciousness, harmony pours over us, and that which is called illness—a condition resulting from inharmony within ourselves—is corrected by an adjustment of mind. When we become acquainted with one another and know what we are in Truth, we change our minds about one another. The emotions that are called passion and temper are changed; they are spiritualized. Understood, they become powers, wonderful powers.
6. One can love and yet become angry. Anger has been misunderstood, and, being out of harmony with life, it becomes destructive. When once the emotion behind anger is understood, it can be transformed and made an ally of good. The longing that we call appetite is really aspiration. As long as we think we can satisfy it with something that we can eat or drink, it grows; therefore we have to learn to satisfy the longing with a true consciousness of what it is. It is a thirst after righteousness, which understanding satisfies.
7. We are learning about the things that were mysterious. We are knowing ourselves better and better; we are finding that there is something in us that understands better than the intellectual self. We are beginning to find a new heaven and a new earth. The things that we have thought to be beyond our ken are gradually coming into our knowledge. We are gradually coming to know that we are one with Him who knows all, one with the one perfect life. We are finding that the Spirit within us is greater than all else.
8. Since two or more gathered together have the tremendous power that Jesus promised, what power would be released if thousands could be united in speaking one thought! It was this idea which led us to publish monthly thoughts in our Unity periodicals, that we all might unite our thoughts at some time in the day. When we come together in the Spirit, we all are one in the true place of the Most High. Our words become charged with great healing power. As they go forth they can do mighty works.
9. When we pray together in omnipresence, we lose sight of everything but the one Presence; we recognize only the spiritual Source of all things. In the full understanding and use of this Source is all that our souls have longed for.
10. As we learn to use the power of the word we discover that we no longer have to beg for that which we think we need and that which satisfies our longings. We find that when we have put away all that hinders us, we are led into our good; it is ours; God gives it to us. He is pouring Himself out upon us as the fullness of all things. We receive not by begging and crying, but by acknowledging and realizing, as Jesus Christ did, our oneness with the Father.
11. When we have found the kingdom of God and the richness of it, we come into touch with the allness of the one Ruler whose throne is within. Then we have no more trouble about things. Things come just as naturally as the planted seed grows.
