“Citizens of the world, accept the ‘glorious liberty of the children of God,’ and be free! This is your divine right.”
Mary Baker Eddy
| Virginia Harris, C.S.B. – ‘Citizens of the world’ |
Posted: 30 Jun 2013 12:27 PM PDT
“Citizens of the world, accept the ‘glorious liberty of the children of God,’ and be free! This is your divine right.”
Imagine…when this was written by Mary Baker Eddy about 125 years ago, the concept of ‘nationalism’ was newly popular in the United States. The country had recently emerged from the effects of a devastating civil war that sorely tested the coherent identity of the young nation. As a result, celebrating the civil and religious freedom from England each July 4th became a celebration of the unbroken unity of the nation.
Even so, in her seminal book on spirituality and religious and medical reform Science and Health, Eddy called for individuals to identify themselves as citizens above and beyond a separate nation and more as citizens of the world. And in that grand role, to see oneself – and others – as free now, whatever the circumstances, because it is divinely bestowed.
What an outlook to consider, then and now, regardless of one’s own situation. There are many countries today where millions are struggling to break free of oppressive governments, and there are so many more millions worldwide laboring to loose the personal bonds of limitation of some kind.
Might the implication to see yourself as a ‘citizen of the world’ mean that in addition to breaking free of your own limitations – from fear, from hate or anger, from violence or repression – you can support fellow citizens of the world in their struggles for freedom?
When your devoted prayer to see yourself as a child of God glowing in glorious liberty – with all the promise of abundant inheritance of good – expands to include all those seeking liberty of any kind, then already you have broken a bond of limitation: you have eliminated ‘exclusivity’ and ‘separation’ from your thought.
· No more ‘exclusivity’: The abundant love and goodness of God is unconditional and available to all; furthermore, ‘inclusivity’ recognizes that everyone has the ability to partake in the blessings of this love and that there is a never-ending resource of good for all.
· No more ‘separation’: There can be no ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ in the kingdom of God – in other words, there can’t be those who have an inseparable relationship with God and those who are far removed from Her. We – each of us and all of us – have an unbroken relationship with our Father-Mother Love. This means that we all have immediate access to all good, without restriction of geographic, religious, or political ‘barriers.’ There are no barriers in the kingdom of universal good.
This is a powerful prayer. It blesses you and radiates out to bless your fellow citizens in the world. Imagine…Who can say what this global citizenry blessed by goodness and love will look like when everyone sees they are divinely free? To me, this is worth praying for.