Spiritual Social Action on Unity.org

A recent short essay entitled "Spiritual Social Action Leads to Unity in the Community" by Jane Simmons has been posted on Unity.org which originally appeared in the Jan. 2009 issue of Contact magazine.

In this brief article Simmons articulates what I've been hoping to see come about in Unity as an over-all movement. I know social action has always been a part of Unity circles and groups, but it has rarely been emphasized as an integral part of Unity metaphysical thought or made a distinct and explicit ministry in the Association of Unity Churches. That is, until recently when the "spiritual social action" group in Unity began formulating a language and spiritual rationale that places importance on social engagement and justice advocacy and this activity's significance for spiritual growth.

Simmons sums up well the communal dimension I've always felt is an integral element of one's spiritual journey. Sometimes Unity people and Unity metaphysical thought are so individualistic that this societal-intersubjective facet is downplayed or not even spoken of or engaged in at all.

No human is an island unto his/her self. Based on the belief and conviction of the interconnectivity of all life grounded in a God often referred to as Oneness or Source or Absolute, it seems that social justice, human rights, and general community action to better others' well being as well as our own would be a foundational ethical principle in Unity. If God in Christ is present equally and fully in each of us and our thought, word, and deed actions substantially affect ourselves and all else around us (based on the principle of Oneness), then our service for others not only physcially and spiritually helps others, it also uplifts ourselves.

The notion of spiritual social action should be integrated into Unity metaphysics. In fact, I'd like to develop a Unity systematic theology wherein the principle of spiritual social action becomes a central theological piece. Social engagement, as an ethic, can be formulated as the organic outgrowth of a mature and effective inner contemplative life -- and the inner contemplative life can be furthered, deepened and expanded through the participation in the service of social action toward the betterment of lives, relationships, and society as a whole.

I like the five points of spiritual social action based on Unity principles that are forwarded by Simmons:

- Empowerment of individuals rather than inviting dependency (which I take to mean a complete dependency on others that dissolves one's sense of worth, uniqueness, and distinction as and individual spiritual being; this is not a negation of the principle of inter-dependence, which refers to the reality of every individual being affected by and in intimate relationship with other individuals)
- Creation of sustainable living, allowing the receiver to give back (that is, when the receiver becomes too reliant on the giver a lack of integrity and equality arises; true social action gives with the intention and implementation of empowering the receiver with resources to become the giver of social service as well)
- Honoring the wholeness of Spirit within all beings, regardless of the outer appearance (no matter what the outer conditions may be, "spiritual" social action recognizes the inner dimension of spiritual integrity and God-presence within all individuals)
- Coming from a consciousness of love and compassion (the intention and attitude with which spiritual social action is done is characterized by love and compassion for humanity, usually grounded in an inner practice of some kind, i.e. prayer, meditation, contemplation)
- 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 (in other words, the hierarchy and inequality of relationship inherent in other forms of social service is abrogated in favor of a more humble role of giving to a spiritual equal -- giving from God, through God, to God since God is fully present in every piece of the process).

Read the essay at Unity.org.

Metaphysical Malpractice

Rev. Paul Hasselbeck, a Unity minister and dean of the Spiritual Education and Enrichment program at Unity Institute, has written a short article in the latest Contact magazine of the Association of Unity Churches. His piece is entitled, "Metaphysical Malpractice: Situations in Our Life?" and essentially deals with the Law of Mind-action as it applies to problematic situations in peoples' lives.


Hasselbeck addresses the issue of people blaming themselves when confronted with difficulties due to the Law of Mind-action, which asserts that "thoughts held in mind reproduce after their kind." The contention arises when people begin to create a sense of inner guilt about traumatic events because they feel that they are responsible for bringing on the difficulty they're experiencing. This is "metaphysical malpractice" and is totally not conducive to spiritual growth.

Hasselbeck aptly points out that it is usually impossible to know for sure whether the negative circumstances have been produced by oneself or the collective consciousness of humankind. He states, "A better question to consider with someone in the midst of illness or a trauma is, 'what is the most supportive and positive response I can make to this situation?'" (Contact, "Malpractice," 21.) Indeed, as I don't believe that all of people's problems are caused by their own thinking (I feel that there are certainly causes and conditions outside of one's thought-universe that can have negative consequences on one's life-situation) I also prefer a pragmatic, pastoral care centered approach to these issues.

Rather than exacerbating the guilt and suffering that a person is likely feeling during a difficult time, it's best to help the person center themselves in God through prayer. This includes affirming that, though the suffering that s/he may be going through is real to her/him at the time, God is fully present in that pain and is empowering her/him to get through the hurt. The love of God in Christ is in the unsatisfactory experience, calling her/him to persevere through the suffering and diffuculty. This must be accomplished by acknowledging and affirming that s/he is a child of God and therefore is inherently good, is innately whole. Hanging onto this healthful consciousness will likely bring about an awareness of God present in the adversity, which is the key to getting rid of suffering and experiencing the Spirit of God.

It's when the Law of Mind-action is used for purposes of usurping material desires or blaming others/self for the bad experiences in life that it is abused as a tool for malpractice. I enjoy how Hasselbeck ends the brief essay, "Spiritual truths and practices are not so much about getting outer goodies as they are about realizing inner goodness." (Contact, "Malpractice," 21.)

Check out Rev. Hasselbeck's article in April/May issue of Contact.