My mother-heart breaks today. Stop! Stop sending our world’s children into wars they don’t want. Their lives are worth more than that. -Karen Molenaar Terrell
“Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth… the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places…” -Isaiah 43
“The cement of a higher humanity will unite all interests in the one divinity.” -Mary Baker Eddy
“Universal Love is the divine way in Christian Science.” -Mary Baker Eddy
I felt a spark of hope inside me – a moment when I remembered what it was like before the invasion before the insurrection before the division in our nation and our world – a distant memory of good will and peace.
And remembering, I believe again. -Karen Molenaar Terrell
You are my precious child. Feel yourself embodied in my body – embodied in the body of Love. I AM Love, all-power, all-presence, always with you. I AM impenetrable Love, all encompassing – the only presence or power or Mind. You are never separated, isolated, or apart from Love. There is no place you could go, or be taken, that is outside of Love. You are never apart from Love. You are never in danger because you are never outside of what is Good. You are in an impervious armor of Love. You are a part of the Life that fills all space and never ends. You are the expression of never-ending Life itself. -Karen Molenaar Terrell
There are nobler things than “shows of strength,” stronger things than greed, more worthy things than ego, better things to feed. There’s Love and Truth and Life itself – all-power, always beautiful, always here. Greed and ego don’t have a chance against the Love that we draw near. -Karen Molenaar Terrell
“Draw nigh to Love and love will draw nigh to you.” -James 4:8
The Germans begin setting up Christmas trees with lighted candles along the trenches on their side of the line. They begin singing carols, and although they’re singing in German, the allies on the other side of the line– the French, Belgians, and British – are able to recognize most of the carols. Soon voices are raised from both sides of the dividing line, joining together to sing “Silent Night.” A truce is called. Weapons are laid down and replaced with soccer balls. Gifts are exchanged – chocolate and postcards and tobacco and newspapers.
I love that story. I love the hope of peace it represents. Although the soldiers were not able to maintain their truce – within the week they were forced, under orders, to pick up their weapons and begin shooting at each other again – the end of the Christmas truce in 1914 doesn’t diminish the power of what those soldiers were able to bring to each other for that week.
May our world find that peace again, and next time may it be lasting.
“… and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” – Isaiah 2: 4
“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.” – Isaiah 11: 6
One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, “Love thy neighbor as thyself;” annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry, – whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed. – Mary Baker Eddy
The kitsch and spangles and baubles and bangles, And department store Santa, just really can’ta Seem to bring me the spirit of Christmas.
And I’ve been waiting to feel it – the real Christmas spirit Hoping it’d come by now. The stockings are stuffed, the tree is all buffed, The cookies are baked and frosted and fluffed But there’s still something missing – a feeling, a tingling that’s supposed to come every Christmas.
Except… Maybe that Christmas feeling, that energy and tingling Is something I can have every day – It doesn’t depend on spangles, or jingly-bell jangles Or jolly men dressed all in red. It comes in the sharing of laughter and caring And the comfort in words with love said: To all – Peace! Joy! Hope! Every moment of every day. – Karen Molenaar Terrell, from The Madcap Christian Scientist’s Christmas Book
T’was two weeks afore Christmas and all through Eff Bee not a creature was stirring – not a they, she, or he. We were prostrate and spent from the holiday bustle not a twitch could be seen from the teeniest muscle.
We lay all unblinking in our respective beds while visions of gift-wrapping swirled through our heads. And clad in our jammies and our way cool madcaps we had the vague hopeful hope our bodies would take naps.
Holiday jangles and jingles pinged through our brains – Presley, Crosby, and Mathis taking us down memory lanes – and would we remember every member to be gifted? We mentally went through our lists, hoping none were omitted.
There were homes to be decorated and cards to be sent; parties, caroling, and cookie-making, and we hadn’t made a dent. But with a collective sigh we remembered there and then that it’s really about good will to all creatures, women, and men.
And so our thoughts finally settled and our bodies relaxed as we thought of those we love and a world festooned in pax. With our hearts wrapped in kindness and the world as our ‘hood We’re all brethren and sistren – and verily, It’s all good! – Karen Molenaar Terrell, from The Madcap Christian Scientist’s Christmas Book and A Poem Lives on My Windowsill.
In that quiet space that holy place looking inward to look outward to look inward gathering energy for the next calling enjoying this in-between time as important as the beginning as important as the end important in its stillness importance in its peace -Karen Molenaar Terrell
Quiet fallow field resting unobserved in peace preparing to grow -Karen Molenaar Terrell
Photo of Indian Memorial at Little Big Horn. Photo by Karen Molenaar Terrell.
My dear Humoristian hooligans – The world is in need of all the love and courage you can shine on it today – the world is in need of your reflection of all that is good and decent. You are important – each and every beautiful one of you – in your expressions of kindness, honesty, and irrepressible, unstoppable, insurmountable joy. May the scared, misguided and misinformed be awakened by your unwavering wisdom and unshakable faith in Truth. May the bullies and belligerent bigots be transformed by your buoyant, unbreakable belief in the brotherhood and sisterhood and kinship of all creatures. May we all help our world find peace. Amen. – Karen Molenaar Terrell
Why would I choose bitterness and deny myself the peace of forgiveness? Why would I choose anger and deny myself the joy of kindness? Why would I choose hate and deny myself the healing presence of Love? -Karen Molenaar Terrell
May the peace, joy, and presence of Love fill your hearts and home this Christmas!
Adventures of the Madcap Christian Scientist 