Hi everyone,
Last night I came across this half hour recording from a lecture given in the Philippines, just after the recent hurricane. The speaker, Chet Manchester, talks about two experiences people had of deliverance during the tsunami of ten years ago (I did wonder when he said "Catholic priest" and "wife" together, but that doesn't take away from the message - I'm sure there's an explanation, like perhaps he wasn't Catholic!)
He also talks of the time when his mother-in-law suddenly died and left him and his wife grief-stricken and how they were lifted above that - that could be very helpful to anyone feeling overwhelmed by grief.
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After Christmas here, there were several TV programmes to commemorate the tsunami and one programme that I watched went to religious leaders of most denominations. Quite honestly, most “explanations” which ranged from “These people have been wicked, it’s Allah’s will for them to be punished” to “This material life is illusion – it doesn’t matter what goes on here, it will be better after death” simply did not answer that human demand for comfort, reassurance and love (and quite frankly, made me very angry).
There were a few that were helpful, which were in the category, “Look, this is a natural phenomena, caused by shifting teutonic plates, but we can know that God’s love is present to comfort and feed and His wisdom to guide and we need to concentrate on that, rather than on the horror.” Sadly, most of them felt that man was helpless before nature. But I know that isn’t true, from what we have read in the Bible (especially from Jesus’ authority over material conditions) and from the many demonstrations by prophets and seers of all religions and philosophies and over the past 130+ years since Mary Baker Eddy rediscovered the Science of Christ.
Interestingly, in that programme, the one bit that I found gave a real answer was an 80 year old lady who was worshipping in a Buddhist temple. When they saw the wave roaring towards them, everyone, including the monks ran out (though one did come back, fearing karma if he didn't help her). She couldn’t run (or swim), but she said “I turned to a higher power and I felt myself lifted up above the water and was saved.” Interesting that her core instinct was to turn to what I call God, even though there is no concept of Deity within Buddhism.
I have been praying for the people of Haiti with these powerful words from Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy:
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The "still, small voice"
of scientific thought reaches over continent and ocean
to the globe's remotest bound. The inaudible voice of
Truth is, to the human mind, "as when a lion roareth."
It is heard in the desert and in dark places of fear. P 558
Love and peace,
Judy
I saw a similar program and it ended up with some Jesuits in Rome explaining that we couldn't live on the planet without this plate type phenomena. Crust movement formed the mountains years ago and if the world was smooth, we would probably have had to develop webbed feet as the surface would be mostly swamp.
It was very interesting, but like many programs such as this it just briefly touched the topic. One church group interviewed suggested that some casualties, who had been on holiday from a certain European country, and who were homosexual were being punished. Goodness knows what their church taught, but it certainly wasn't love and harmony.
Clarification about Father Sanders
Thanks for raising this issue! In my talk, I referred to Father Sanders as a "priest" but he was actually a "Catholic missionary" according to the accounts I've read online. Here is the link to the CNN story about him and how he saved the children in the orphanage:
Thank you Chet for the clarification and what a bonus to have the CNN story too!
And thank you again for your wonderful talk - I've found it one of the most inspiring and comforting of the many articles/programmes etc that I've read, seen or watched in the past few days.
Judy
I'm just resurrecting this thread as Chet Manchester, who gave the talk that I link to above is coming over from the USA this week and if any of you live near Richmond in Surrey, it would be well worth going to, especially in light of what has happened in Christchurch and then Japan. It's a free inspirational talk, Spiritual Calm in a Crisis and will be at First Church of Christ, Scientist, 35 Sheen Road, Richmond TW9 1AD on Sat. March 26th at 3 pm.
Also, he's giving other talks in the Midlands, Woking and Claygate near Esher. and put Midlands or Southern Counties in the drop down menu.
Love and peace,
Judy
PS the talk is still online - if you go up to post 1