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| Subject: Living in the infinite now |
Living in the infinite now
Michael Mooslin
June 27, 2011 Journal online
My wife and I recently saw a play in Los Angeles titled 33 Variations, by Moisés Kaufman. In the program notes there’s a quote from the early 20th century Russian novelist Andrei Bely: “An instant of life taken by itself as it is deeply probed becomes a doorway to infinity. The minutiae of life will appear even more clearly to be the guides to eternity.” The drama studies Beethoven’s 33 variations of the musical publisher Anton Diabelli’s simple waltz—and his invitation in 1819–1850 to the world’s greatest composers to write a variation on that waltz. Beethoven couldn’t rest composing only one variation, but spent the next several years inspired by the deeper musical combinations that kept coming to him.
It occurred to me that this same inspiration can be gleaned in moments—what Bely referred to as “the minutia of life.” If we probe deeply into the significance of a word, or an observation, or a single event, we can discern a spiritual opportunity. The Bible and Mary Baker Eddy’s Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures speak of infinite Life, which if infinite in one direction must be so in all directions. Preexistence and eternal life have preoccupied metaphysicians throughout history, but what about the infinite now—the spiritual depth of a moment that to the unaware has no significance whatsoever? It is the inspired thought that recognizes a spiritual dimension or influence—dynamic and active in the present. By being spiritually alert, we witness God’s immediate rescuing hand in the time of need.
How might we explore the spiritual depths of a given moment in time? Mrs. Eddy invites us to journey “deep into realism instead of accepting only the outward sense of things” (Science and Health, p. 129). To me, that is the infinite now—a spiritual awakening that can occur in an instant. At this very moment, each one of us possesses the ability to see through human “evidence” and witness a reflected truth, spiritual depth. We can take a conversation higher, calm a fear, touch another’s heart, and even heal the sick!
And how do we do this? By listening for the inspiration that comes to us as God’s idea, man, and then acting upon it. It may appear as the loving thing to say or the intuitive thing to do—always led by our prayers, and always resulting in a transformation of thought. Whether in a business negotiation or at the first suggestion of feeling ill, we can, in a moment, experience this divine influence of Truth.
By being spiritually alert, we witness God’s immediate rescuing hand in the time of need. We see qualities in ourselves and others, visible only through spiritual perception. Heeding this in my own experience, a meeting with a stranger turned into a lifelong relationship; the recognition of a friend’s higher, spiritual self—despite an offensive act—blessed an important outcome; a Christian Science practitioner perceived the underlying misconception, appearing as a “problem,” from a single word I uttered, and an instantaneous healing occurred.
The very manifestation of God that comes to us as inspiration and revelation in one moment is available to us in all moments.
When Mary Baker Eddy wrote in Science and Health: “There is moral freedom in Soul” (p. 58), she was not referring to some theoretical or future state of grace, but the immediate freedom we all reflect, which is an aspect of Soul, God. The very manifestation of God that comes to us as inspiration and revelation in one moment is available to us in all moments. And another passage from that same book aligns beautifully with Bely’s quote about an “instant of life” becoming a “doorway to infinity”: “One moment of divine consciousness, or the spiritual understanding of Life and Love, is a foretaste of eternity” (p. 598).
Instantaneous healing is not out of reach. It is entirely possible because of our understanding of who and what we are—the very reflection of the infinite good God. We can be willing to respond spontaneously to inspiration, to refuse to let our natural inclination toward spiritual insight be hidden or ignored. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation," said Paul (II Cor. 6:2, emphasis added).
Do we possess the purity of thought and sufficient humility to listen prayerfully and to seize the moment? If so, then this God-given inspiration appears as an immediate influence, governing and adjusting any fearful or mistaken human sense of things. Mrs. Eddy wrote, referring to this spiritual sense, “By purifying human thought, this state of mind permeates with increased harmony all the minutiae of human affairs. It brings with it wonderful foresight, wisdom, and power; it unselfs the mortal purpose, gives steadiness to resolve, and success to endeavor” (Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, p. 204).
That is my wake-up call. As I endeavor to purify thought, those “minutiae moments” become seeds of opportunity. They impel me to look deeper into the infinite now.
Michael Mooslin lives in Los Angeles.
Purity of thought:
Science and Health:
129:22
58:12
598:23
King James Bible:
II Cor. 6:2 |
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