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September 10—Join Us for World Day of Prayer 2009! Unity's World Day of Prayer celebrates and affirms peace, abundance and love for individuals and the world. This year's theme—Reach In. Reach Out. We Can Change the World—reflects the importance of going within for guidance and reaching out to help others. The following article is one in a series about spiritual social action. To submit a prayer list, to sign up for the online prayer vigil, or to tell us about your social action initiatives, we invite you to visit www.worlddayofprayer.org. |
Spiritual Social Action Leads to Unity in the Community
By Jane SimmonsIt is difficult to watch the nightly news without feeling concern for the planet and its inhabitants. Severe climate change, wars and violence, shortages of food and water, poverty, species extinction—how can we respond to these alarming conditions and make a difference?
Unity's Unique Perspective
Unity has a unique perspective to offer the world. Our foundational belief that there is only one Presence tells us that whatever we do to another we do to ourselves. If oneness is the true reality, then the question is, “Where should our circle of compassion end?” What if the world has a role to play in our spiritual journey? What if these conditions have arisen, not as something done to us, but to motivate us into grounding our spiritual awareness into authentic action? Imagine if the key to our awakening is rooted in loving and compassionate service to one another.
When we bless others through our actions, we are in alignment with the Truth of who we are—spiritual beings in a physical universe. Service—to God and to all beings—is the highest form of love in action. The Golden Rule, found in all traditions, calls us to treat one another with kindness and respect. In Unity, our version of the Golden Rule might read: Whatever you put out into the universe returns to you, multiplied. This teaching has its roots in our foundational belief in the oneness of all life.
New Thought Spiritual Social Action
- Empowers each individual rather than invites dependency.
- Creates sustainable living, allowing the receiver to give back.
- Honors the wholeness of Spirit within all beings, no matter what the outer appearance may be.
- Comes from a consciousness of love and compassion.
- Moves us from the role of “benevolent giver, handing down to a needy receiver” to instead, the conscious realization of the privilege (to be) of service to the divine.
Rather than trying to fix what appears broken, we go within to our Source in prayer, ask for guidance and then take action, always remembering that we are God's hands in expression. Unity's fifth principle tells us that we must put principle into practice if we are to see transformation. Spiritual social action is the practice of loving service in action.
This excerpt came from the January 2009 issue of Contact magazine.
