A word fitly spoken is like roses of gold in pictures of silver..

photo by Eva-Maria

" The [uncivilized] man thinks only of self and family.  The civilized man has his interest bounded by the community or country in which he lives, and the highly civilized man has sympathy with every people, irrespective of race or creed."

Wu Ting Fung, Chinese minister

"..lift the curtain, let in the light, and countermand this first command of Solomon, "Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him."

Mary Baker Eddy

Interior design by Gisbert Rentmeister

Only in civilization can mankind grow the capacity for art, literature, science, etc., and thereby a certain kind of wealth.  Then comes the experience, and not before.

Eva-Maria

ON RECOGNIZING ELEGANCE:

Suddenly the eyes open to what is

Elaborate, extravagant, the beauty around us.

Grand or small, all things feed

Our capacity to see the intricacy of the present moment, 

All the wealth we require.

 An artist feels this abundance, and gratitude pours

Like a waterfall in his work!

Or it may be that the clarity called reason 
A brilliant lawfullness the scientifically-minded examine 

Brings coherence to any system.

The poet and scientist both attend the same layered intelligence:

The grand and precise artistry of existence. 

Vincent Hogrefe (after Coleman Barks)

photo by Eva-Maria

SHAKESPEARE wrote, “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so” (Hamlet, Act II, scene 2).  Clearly, the quality of our thought has a great deal – in fact, everything – to do with the nature of our experience.  It’s vital, then, that our thoughts be conducive to harmony, that they be in accord with God, who is the very Principle of harmony.

If we’re honest with ourselves, we find plenty to discard in the way of unproductive thought patterns, enough to keep us busy for a lifetime.  But each facet of spiritual self-knowledge we gain along the way inspires us anew while it transforms our character and heals our body.

Scientific, inspired, original, pure thoughts, derived from God, are seen in tangible results – a more spiritual concept of ourselves and our fellow beings, which leads to deeper love and compassion for others, progress in the healing of a troubled world, and a higher quality of living.  St. Paul apparently found it inspiring and practical to entertain Godlike thoughts from the divine Mind.  He said, “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Phil. 4:8).

…the divine influence in human thought, frees us from egotistical, overly sensitive, unkind, and self-destructive traits, and anchors our thought in Truth.  Fresh, vital, and clear thoughts – spiritually refreshing thoughts – are winged with inspiration.  They reveal what God, divine Love, knows of us, reveal that He delights in us as his spiritual idea.  And the more we listen to God to discover our true identity made in His likeness, the more the true goodness of divine reality becomes concrete to us.

--An excerpt from an article The impact of spiritual thought on experience, 

by Eva-Maria Hogrefe, C. S.,

published in the Christian Science Sentinel, August 8, 1994--