This week is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week in the United States. At our Christian Science Reading Room, in downtown Bend, we have a poster for members of the community to sign up to pray about this issue. The statistics say that 160,000 kids stay home from school because of bullying, and that it has led to suicide (www.pacer.org).
This got me thinking that there really can’t be any victims in God’s kingdom. God’s children are not and cannot be controlled by anything but Good, divine Love. When we see and recognize God as the source and creator of all, we see that creation can only be good and reflects and possesses God’s divine nature.
I listened to a Sentinel Radio program (February 2010) where a boy in England applied the Truth found in the Bible and Christian Science to a bullying situation at school. A boy was bullying him, quite aggressively, each day in class. At first he didn’t know what to do about the situation, but after talking with his parents they decided to pray to love this boy and see his true spiritual nature. The boy telling the story said he knew this other boy had to be a child of God, too, so he tried to look for qualities the boy expressed, which had their source in God. He started noticing qualities this boy exhibited in different settings such as intelligence or his sense of style. Soon this boy’s thought was transformed to see that this “bully” really was a child of God and had wonderful qualities and talents that he expressed. Well, the whole situation was transformed in about a week and they became friends. I love this testimony of healing, which was given so eloquently by this child. A real spiritual transformation took place in him as he replaced the “counterfeit” view with the spiritual view and understanding of who God is and the spiritual nature of His creation.
All of God’s ideas, including children, reflect God’s qualities; these qualities are love, compassion, gentleness, unselfishness, confidence, and righteousness. Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer and founder of Christian Science, has this definition for “children” in her book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: “CHILDREN. The spiritual thoughts and representatives of Life, Truth, and Love” (p. 582). There certainly isn’t anything sinful in that definition!
So how can anything unlike God be a part of His creation? It can’t!
So, what is this appearance? Simply an “aggressive mental suggestion” that God’s spiritual, perfect man is not all there is, and that we are not all protected by God’s powerful Love. This is false! And as we bring about awareness, shine a light on this subject together, we can join hands and take a stand that goodness, harmony and brotherly love are natural and normal. Unselfishness is what we are really about. And we are humble and meek allowing room for others to grow.
These “bullies” have every right to know that they are children of God, too. They don’t need to feel insecure or unclear about their identity. Each of us has a perfect identity from God full of all the intelligence, talents, and qualities that we need. We are absolutely adequate and have infinite capabilities from our Creator. And we fit in perfectly with God’s creation. There is enough room for all of us!
As adults we have to exemplify this ourselves. We certainly can’t “bully” each other’s politics or businesses or families, and then expect kids to get along well at school. We are included in this harmonious atmosphere that we want to see kids embodying. I was at a kid’s soccer game recently and was surprised to hear the parents misconstruing the actions of other parents on opposing teams, and parents not respecting or being courteous to one another. What value system and example do we set forth for our children? Mrs. Eddy states in the book previously mentioned, “Clad in the panoply of Love, human hatred cannot reach you” (p. 571). Panoply is “a complete suit of armor” (dictionary.com). We are wrapped up in the armor of Love when we see and know only Love is going on, when we see the spiritual, perfect view of man that God created, and when we know how loved and cherished we are by divine Love, our Father-Mother. Then human hatred doesn’t reach us; it cannot reach us! This might be hatred that is targeted at us, or the temptation to hate someone else. We can be totally shielded and protected by dwelling in the atmosphere (in thought) of Love. Perhaps this is why Jesus said,
“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven:” (KJV, Matt 5:44,45).
The Message says, “Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you” (Matt 5:48).
We can see and know each person’s identity as a spiritual child without any aggressive or insecure blemish in him or her. And we can hold to who we are, as a child of God, totally protected and safe from any “bully”.
If you like the testimony about the boy shared above, there are many more at your local Christian Science Reading Room published in the Sentinel and on the Sentinel Radio program, on kids praying about bullying and finding resolutions.
Spirituality & Healing 