What does it mean to know that Divine Mind is Absolute Good(ness)?
For me, contemplating this assertion has been life-changing. It changed EVERYTHING, especially how I viewed Unity’s five principles. God is Absolute Good(ness), everywhere present. Created in the image and likeness of God, I am that Absolute Good(ness) too. Knowing that God is all there is and that God is Absolute Good(ness) makes me and everything else expressive of that Goodness, regardless of appearance, situation or circumstance.
The statement that God/Divine Mind is Absolute Good(ness) is the foundation of affirmative prayer. God is, I am, (Therefore) I realize, I give thanks, I release, amen.
In order for God to be realized, God must be recognized (as some expression of Goodness). So when I speak the Word, I must pray FROM that Goodness, not TO that Goodness. This consciousness is out pictured via our third principle. It is done to us as we believe in our hearts. The consciousness that heals knows the truth of this Oneness, and expresses it with conviction and assurance.
What do I think about when I think about God?
What truth is it that I am Knowing? I think I need to know that God is everything and that God is absolute Good(ness), and that I am One with all that God is. A more pertinent question is perhaps, what do I think about when I think about God? In virtually every practitioner session, whether my own or done with others, this question is pertinent. It is pertinent every time I pray by myself or pray with others. What do I think about when I think about God? The answer depends upon what I am holding in consciousness as I am having this experience.
As a graduate of The Agape International Spiritual Center’s Practitioner Training, I have learned, studied and practiced affirmative prayer. In Agape, practitioners are the healing arm of the church. Rev. Michael Beckwith describes practitioners as a “body of consciousness, not just a body of knowledge.” We are trained to hold the Truth that Divine Mind is Absolute Good(ness), and that I am One with that Good(ness). Affirmative prayer is an effective method for practicing this truth.
Holding the Truth of Absolute Good(ness)
Several years ago Jean had major surgery, requiring eight hours on the operating table. I asked to be with her through her first night in the hospital. As the night progressed, Jean’s temperature and blood pressure spiked. The nurses frantically tried to get these indicators back in the normal range. During a lull in the activity, Jean asked me to pray with her. I remember thinking that I couldn’t hold the Truth that there is nothing but God here and that God is Absolute Good(ness) and that I am One with that Truth.
However, there was no other practitioner present to take my place. It was on me to pray with Jean. Then, I heard a clear voice from within say, “Just do your job.” Fifteen minutes later both temperature and blood pressure were back to normal. Coincidence? I don’t think so. In that moment of praying with Jean, I simply remembered that the consciousness that heals does so with conviction, assured of its unified oneness with the Absolute Good(ness) of Divine Mind.
What does it mean to know that Divine Mind is Absolute Good(ness)?
For me, the meaning is simple. To know that Divine Mind is Absolute Good(ness) means that I cannot reluctantly beseech a deity, “hoping” for a good outcome. To know that Divine Mind is Absolute Good(ness) means that I must affirmatively pray from the consciousness of this Absolute Good, confidently “expecting” that Absolute Good(ness) provides for every need exactly as required to meet all situations and circumstances. Knowing this makes all the difference in the outcome.
