6.24.07 Christian Reflections on The Secret - #1 What is The Secret?
WESTMINSTER PULPIT
The Rev. Dr. David Thompson
June 24, 2007 “Christian Reflections on The Secret”: #1 What is The Secret
“Ah, how goodness and kindness pursue me every day of my life…” King David of Israel
Today we begin a series of sermons on Rhonda Byrne’s DVD and book called The Secret. More than 1.5 million DVD’s have been sold and the hard cover version is number one on the New York Times best seller list. Alternatively praised by some and panned by others The Secret continues to make its way in the world despite its critics. Some people think that it is just positive thinking reworked. Others think that it is just brilliant marketing of foggy ideas that appeal to Self Help Gurus and evangelists, salespeople and marketers. It has been criticized for its broad generalizations, its materialism and lack of scientific rigor and the immediate response of skeptics is to find a situation where the generalization becomes ludicrous or could be construed as magical thinking and then dismiss the entire book.
To go down that route in my view is to miss the power of The Secret. If you have been critically trained to be suspicious of ideas about how our thoughts affect the world, might I also suggest as companion volumes, Lynne McTaggert’s works The Field and The Intention Experiment. What interests me in The Secret is that thoughts are said to emit frequencies. They cite the research of Quantum Physics. Some reviewers are very dismissive of this connection. But I wonder if they have read Lynne McTaggert? No one can accuse McTaggert of poor research or lack of scientific rigor. In fact her work is often quoted in legal medical trials as credible evidence. When I read The Field I was amazed at the careful documentation that clearly shows that thought does affect matter, even the movement of random particles. In experiment after experiment the random movement of particles could be influenced by the intention of the observer to influence them. Distance did not seem to be a problem. We are on the cusp I believe of breakthroughs perhaps into a unified theory of the universe. There are many things we do not understand but we do know that all things are interconnected and that thought affects reality even down to the level of the Quantum Field.
The research of Masaru Emoto, into the growth of crystals in his Messages From Water, is often dismissed by saying that he is just seeing what he is looking for. But Emoto’s work taken along with McTaggert’s research and documentation becomes quite credible. The Secret, quotes Dr. Fred Alan Wolf, Quantum Physicist, as saying that Quantum Physics really begins to point to this law that thought affects reality. He says that we can’t have a universe without mind entering into it and that the mind is actually shaping the very thing that is being perceived. A man standing in front of water that is about to freeze into crystals thinking about gratitude according to Emoto, changes the crystalline structure into beautiful complex crystals. The same person thinking the word ‘fool’ produces cruder crystals. According to Emoto the most complex and beautiful crystals are formed with thoughts of gratitude and love. His formula for a peaceful world is two parts gratitude to one part love. That needs to become our intention he believes.
The Bible teaches also that whatsoever we sow we reap. You can’t get corn from an acorn. Good doesn’t come out of evil deeds. Scripture teaches us the importance of taking responsibility for our thoughts. We are to pay attention even to our idle words. The good person is to speak truth from the heart. The words that come out of our mouths are not to be evil intentioned. Scripture is very aware of the power of Intention for good or evil. Jesus teaches that from the heart come evil intentions: murder, adultery, theft, perjury, and slander. Because intentions are so important is the reason that Jesus tells us to set our hearts first on the Kingdom of God, then the things we worry about like food and clothing will be given as well. Right intentions are vital to the examined life.
What is the so called ‘Secret’? Let me summarize the first chapter in the words of the author and the team she has assembled including her references to New Thought methodology. Bob Proctor author philosopher says in the Book and on the DVD: “We all work with one infinite power… one power, one law. It’s attraction.”
Prentice Mulford was the originator of the phrase “thoughts are things”. A New Thought pioneer and friend of Mark Twain, Mulford is a fascinating character, who well ahead of their inventions in history envisioned the airplane and the radio. He also practiced mental telepathy. He lived from 1834-1891. A Californian, born in New York, Mulford wrote: “Every thought of yours is a real thing—a force.” John Assaraf a former street kid and now multi millionaire business consultant says that the simplest way to look at the law of attraction is if he thinks of himself as a magnet. Bob Doyle a personal wealth consultant says: “Basically put, the law of attraction says that like attracts like. But we are talking at a level of thought.” John Assaraf says that we become what we think about most, and we also attract what we think about most.
Charles Haanel, an American author and business man was a self made man who Napoleon Hill credits his wealth to for writing the Master Key system. He was president of the Sacramento Valley Improvement Company and lived from 1866-1949. Haanel is quoted in The Secret as saying: “The predominant thought or mental attitude is the magnet, and the law is that like attracts like, consequently, the mental attitude will invariably attract such conditions as correspond to its nature.” These thinkers see human minds as transmission towers emitting thought frequencies out into the world. These thoughts frequencies put out pictures which are then reflected back to us as our lives. Talking about a wealth mind set Proctor says: “See yourself living in abundance and you will attract it. It works every time with every person.” But if this is the case then why isn’t everybody living the life of their dreams?
The Secret quotes John Assaraf as saying: “Here’s the problem. Most people are thinking about what they don’t want, and they are wondering why it shows up over and over again.” Rhonda Byrne, the author of The Secret says: “The only reason why people do not have what they want is because they are thinking more about what they don’t want, than what they do want.” She says, “Listen to your thoughts and listen to the words you are saying.” The law of attraction responds to our thoughts. Think debt and you will get more of that.
Proctor sees the law of attraction as a law of creation. Bernard Beckwith world leader in New Thought and ancient spiritualities says that creation is always happening. Every time that an individual is in a prolonged and chronic way of thinking something is going to manifest out of those thoughts. Whether the thoughts are conscious or unconscious he believes that we will attract to us whatever we are thinking about. Beckwith assures us however that positive thoughts are more powerful than negative ones. The point of writing The Secret is to teach us how to attract the good into our lives rather than the bad. Without exception every teacher in The Secret book and DVD uses meditation to quiet their thoughts. They believe that our current thoughts create our future life. That summarizes chapter one.
David had a pleasant bearing, fine eyes and a fresh complexion. He was the ultimate positive thinker. Saul was a depressed, gloomy and angry man much of the time. Saul was a capable leader as demonstrated when he liberated the town of Jabesh Gilead. But when Goliath came into his life, Saul who was a big man himself head and shoulders above all the others in Israel was afraid. Day after day he sat paralyzed, pictures playing through his mind of himself dead on the battlefield. Was he not the King? Was he not the biggest man in Israel, but this guy Goliath was terrifying. Saul felt that he would die for sure. As the giant Philistine menaced the camp with his challenges for single combat, David heard about him and he wanted to challenge him in person. Saul was reluctant because David was a youth and inexperienced in battle.
In his mind David saw Goliath dead as he had seen lions and bears that he had killed to protect his father’s flock of sheep. Saul was focusing on what he did not want. David was thinking about what he did want—a reward for killing the Philistine—a wife from one of the King’s daughters! These thoughts which were very powerful did not allow fear to manifest in David. Clear headed he struck Goliath down with a well aimed stone. It might not have been like that if David had not understood the power of intention. Might he have failed even so? Sure, but the power of intention loaded the dice in his favor. It banished his fear, a huge factor, just ask any golfer…
David attracted Jonathan into his life. There was something magnetic about David. We would say today that he had Charisma. What is that? It is attraction. After David had killed the Philistine the women chanted; “Saul has killed his thousands and David his tens of thousands”. Saul was deeply angry. Unaware of the law of attraction and the teaching of which would have us use gratitude to attract things into our life, Saul uses jealousy instead. And jealousy also attracts. It is a misuse of the law of attraction. Saul through his persistent negative thinking attracts his negative fate with his negative thoughts. His fate becomes to lose everything and one day he even loses his life on the battlefield. David on the other hand consistently demonstrates respect for Saul even when Saul seeks the life of David.
One day David becomes King. The charisma persists. He becomes wealthy and prosperous and so does Israel. David visions’ building the temple for God, but God denies that to him because of his continued battles and bloodshed. David is no saint. But he does understand the law of attraction. He attracts followers; he attracts success and finally dies peacefully in his own bed in his old age, as one of Israel’s greatest kings. He believed that he was divinely guided and protected, and so it was.
David and Saul prove St Paul’s saying that God is not mocked, that whatsoever we sow we reap. Saul puts out negative vibes. David puts out positive vibes. They both get reflected back to them, whatever they put out. Saul puts out what he does not want and gets more of it. David puts out what he wants positively and gets positive results.
One of the amazing things to me about Saul and David is that Saul got to know David very well. David used to play soothing music to Saul to lift his depression. But nothing that David did could take away Saul’s jealousy. David lived in front of Saul an immensely positive life of success. Saul never understood why David was successful. He didn’t get it.
There are people who all of us know who are angry, negative, often depressed and self destructive. Very frequently they are verbally abusive and perennially critical. Their lives often don’t work very well. They can be surrounded by positive people but nothing seems to get through to them. They are the Sauls of this world. What they don’t get is that their negative intentions materialize in their own lives. Their worst dreams come true. They focus on what they don’t want and it grows. The Secret says what we focus on grows, what we resist persists. This is why Jesus taught us to turn the other cheek and to offer no resistance to a wicked person and to overcome evil with good. But note that even when David did this, Saul was not able to change. There is a little phrase, “When the student is ready the teacher appears.” Jesus recognized this in his parable of the Sower. Only when the ground is right can the seed take root, which is why we hear so often his most repeated phrase in Scripture. “Let him who hath ears to hear, hear!” Do we have the ears to hear and the eyes to see that our negative thoughts are incredibly powerful, that they will manifest in our lives? Can we return to our original blessing, the joy with which we were created? Or will we be resentful of our wounds and take them to the grave with us? Saul is our teacher here as well as David.
David was who he was because either intuitively or consciously he knew the Secret to a successful happy life. It was how he thought and he disciplined his thoughts keeping them positive most of the time. Have we read the 23rd psalm lately? Have we seen it through the principles of The Secret? What we focus on the most will appear as our life. This is David’s faith. Here is the 23rd psalm:
“Yahweh is my shepherd, I lack nothing. In meadows of green grass he lets me lie. To the waters of repose he leads me. There he revives my soul. He guides me by paths of virtue, for the sake of his name. Though I pass through a gloomy vale, I feel no harm. Beside me your rod and staff are there to hearten me. You prepare a table before me under the eyes of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil and my cup brims over! Ah how goodness and kindness pursue me, every day of my life: my home the House of Yahweh as long as I live.”
“Goodness and kindness pursue me every day of my life”. The word pursue is very interesting in the light of The Secret. Pursuit of goodness and kindness is David’s experience of the Law of Attraction and it is reflected back to him from his intentions. Is that accidental that he is pursued? It’s not accidental!
Might this not be the Quantum Field responding to David? Might not the Quantum Field be God’s provision to us so that we also can be Co-Creator made in God’s image, as Genesis teaches us? We can create good or evil. We are powerful beyond measure. There is mystery here, that is why Scripture challenges us to create good, to choose life!
Note what David does with the gloomy vales in his life—he passes through them because he fears no harm. He felt no harm even before Goliath. All his life he put out the feeling of fearlessness. His focus was not on the gloomy vale at all. It was on his faith in God, gratitude to God, prayer to God. Read his other Psalms particularly his praise Psalms then note how you feel afterwards. “Sing to God in gratitude” says Psalm 147. Do we do that? Another startling verse in the psalms says: “God is only interested in those who rely on his love.” Do we know that interest? Why ever is it that God is interested? Why would God who knows so much be suddenly interested in those who rely on His love?
It is of interest to God when we who are created in God’s image Co-Create in love. Because there is randomness in the universe, because we can through intention influence even randomness, God is interested in what we come up with. And I say this with deep reverence, God can be pleasantly surprised. And when we love God, whatever we come up with, God is the guarantor of final results. St Paul says all things work together for good. God stands behind the universe. It, like the earth, belongs to God and as Einstein once said the universe is kind.
Deepak Chopra says that “when you get to the consciousness that is behind your thoughts, you are in touch with the same consciousness that is behind all the intelligent activity of the whole universe.” This is the power of our minds and it is an awesome power. Jesus harnessed this power to make lame men leap for joy and the blind to see and the dead to rise again.
Let me close with a practical example from Louise Hay’s book, You Can Heal Your Life. Louise Hay has long practiced the New Thought Principles of The Secret and these principles completely turned her life around away from tragedy into joy filled living. She is a great believer in affirmations and is a teacher of New Thought Principles.
She tells of her move from New York to California: “One of my beliefs is that I always have good relationships with my landlord. My last landlord in New York City was a man known to be extremely difficult, and all the tenants complained. In the five years I lived there, I only saw him three times. When I decided to move to California, I wanted to sell all my possessions and start fresh and unencumbered by the past. I began to do affirmations such as:
All my possessions are sold easily and quickly. The move is very simple to do. Everything is working in the Divine right order. All is well. I did not think about how difficult it would be to sell things or where I would sleep the last few nights or any other negative ideas. I just kept doing my affirmations. Well, my clients and students quickly bought all the little stuff and most of the books. I informed my landlord in a letter that I would not be renewing my lease, and to my surprise, I received a phone call from him expressing his dismay at my leaving. He offered to write a letter of recommendation to my new landlord in California and asked if he could please buy the furniture, as he had decided to rent that apartment furnished.
My higher consciousness had put the two beliefs together in a way I could not have conceived of: “I always have good relationships with my landlord” and “everything will sell easily and quickly.” To the other tenants’ amazement, I was able to sleep in my own bed in a comfortable furnished apartment until the last moment, AND BE PAID FOR IT! I walked out with a few clothes, my juicer, my blender, my hair dryer and my typewriter, plus a large check, and I leisurely took the train to Los Angeles.
Stay tuned! Next week we will look at “The Secret made simple,” chapter two of The Secret. This is the chapter that talks about the law of attraction as being as impartial as the law of gravity. It also contains the assertion that many folks have difficulty with that nothing can come into our experience unless we summon it through persistent thoughts. I shall have a crack at that one! But this next chapter also contains some gems, particularly with what it teaches about feelings. It also teaches that love is the highest frequency we can give out. The greater the love we feel and emit, the greater the power we are harnessing. It is my hope and prayer that you will consider studying along with me as I do this series. I think that it may surprise us all where we go with this. And I am convinced that we will be in a better place in every way than we are at present. The more of us who intend goodness in our lives and in the world, the more we will heal ourselves and the world, we can Co-Create with God. The provision to do so extends even into the Quantum field!
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