The Sufis say the heart is the bridge between Heaven and Earth. In each holy moment, when we are present to our humanity and the turbulence around us, with kindness, compassion and peace, without identifying with the turbulence or making it ours, we can connect into our divinity. We have made space to experience the perfect activity of God, as our love, life, wisdom, joy and peace. It is beautiful, freeing, healing and uplifting.

I suggest finding this centre point within us is one of the keys to living a happy and fulfilled life.
How do we do this? This is the big question …

Gary Simmons, in his book, The ‘I’ of the Storm, writes in his introduction – no one is against us. No one is against us. This statement can stop many of us in our tracks, as our experience often seems to suggest that the whole world is against us! However, take a few moments to reflect on this statement … No one is against us.  What arises in you when reading this? …

In Unity we talk about Oneness all the time – The Father and I are one; we are one with God, with nature and with each other. From this point of oneness, how can anyone be against us – there is only one energy here. Moreover, that energy is inviting us, in each holy moment, to awaken into our True Nature; to allow healing and integration of the wounds from our past, individually and collectively, so we can really experience this oneness we talk about all the time!

I believe we are all on this journey. I write and share about it often for I recognise this as my journey. Our divine inheritance, as Gary writes, is to realise and claim our divine nature as a beloved creation (expression) of God. I make this claim for me and for you, and invite you to claim this for yourself.

To support us on this journey, we are offering you the opportunity to join our next Unity online class, “The Peaceful Process” using Gary’s book as our guide. Together we will find peace in the midst of conflict, calmness in the midst of turbulence; and we will discover we are more than the result of our human experiences – we are spiritual beings awaking into our truth.

Walk this journey with us. It is a powerful one – it changes us and we will support each other throughout the process. As we say in Unity, when we change, our experience of the world changes too.  We find we are spiritual warriors, walking the path of peace.

When I first came to Unity in 2002, the language was, of course, very much of the previous century. God was still masculine, known as ‘father and He’, as seen in the original Unity texts and books. Our co-founder, Charles Fillmore, did in fact use the term Divine Mind instead of God to move away from the idea that God is a separate being. In Unity, we have always been encouraged to use our minds to connect with Divine Mind, to release the Christ energy within, that is here as our perfect potential.
 
If you take Daily Word today, or receive our modern publications, you may have noticed that the language is changing. It is now about Oneness. Instead of God as He or even Father/ Mother God, we use words like Spirit, Pure Being, All that is. What was once termed simply ‘Metaphysics’ is now ‘Heart-Centred Metaphysics’, thanks to the updated writings of Unity minister and author, Paul Hasselbeck.
 
Using my language today, I am taking the journey from my mind to my heart. In fact, according to HeartMath Institute experiments, when the mind and heart are connected to machines that measure their responses to computer-generated images, always the heart responds first, sometimes even before the image appears! The mind follows.
 
For all of us, recognising old thought patterns and beliefs is important. It is only when we recognise and then release the previously unconscious responses that we truly connect with life-affirming statements and God-inspired ideas. God as our good is here all along.
 
However, for me, it is our heart energy; our compassion; the opening and softening of our heart centres that enables deep, abiding change. Ideas open our minds, but it is the ‘whole’ experience of heart/mind/body that changes us.
Unity is so positive, uplifting, encouraging and restoring that for me it goes beyond language into a feeling experience. This is what changes us. It has changed me. Unity is very much of the heart.
 
When you find yourself caught up in negative thinking, or your mind distracted and engaged only by the things of the world, know that you are so more than your thoughts. Gently, compassionately, move your awareness from your mind to your heart. For me, it is the heart-energy that sets us free.
 
Rev Kimerie Mapletoft
Director of Silent Unity and Daily Word UK

The gift of being present. 
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Unity practises and teaches that prayer and meditation are two of the most important spiritual activities we can do for ourselves. Why?

They connect us into the One Presence and One Power that is our awareness of God here, in our midst, just as Jesus taught. When we tune into this God-Presence, heart, mind and body, (all of us in other words) we become present to all that God is, and in my opinion there is nothing better than this.

When we pray and meditate to connect into our God-experience, we do so in each holy moment – we become present to Presence and the gifts overflow. Some examples for you …
When I was away for my month’s sabbatical in Devon, I was so grateful for the experience and time to be with me and God alone, that my heart sung, my spirits soared and the felt-experiences of my walks, quiet times, hobbies, were indelibly printed in my mind/body/heart. So much so that whenever I remember my sabbatical, I reconnect with the joy, gratitude and soaring of spirit, re-experiencing the energy here and now. This is because I was present in each moment to all that was there for me. It was profound and I remain deeply grateful for the opportunity and experience.

Back in 1989, I had six fabulous weeks in Australia and to this day, the memories and felt-experiences of my time there are indelibly printed in my whole self. It was as if I came alive in the sun and energy of that continent and I have never forgotten it. (I have forgotten many other things!) I absorbed all that was there for me by being present in every moment. Now whenever I remember that time, my whole being is once more imbued with the same energy and joy.
We can also be present to our moments of deep pain, sadness, anger or fear. Where most of us are taught to avoid, push away or control our uncomfortable feelings, I practice being present to them. I simply sit with the energy that is stored in my body, not engaging my mind and letting the energy move through me, as it needs to. My strong belief is that when I do this, I am making space for God-energy to flow, to heal that which seeks to know healing, and re-integrate any trapped energy previously held onto. Instead of feeling depleted, depressed and ill, I feel invigorated, loved, upheld and set free.

Being present to Presence, in each holy moment is such a gift, why would we not do this. Many of us have had profound moments of feeling connected into, one with, a love and wisdom that is so much more than we are – let us build on this and deepen our awareness of our oneness with God, whatever our human experience.
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I invite you to take time, consciously, to be present to Presence. Let whatever arise, do so. It may be grief, fear, anger, joy, or deep abiding peace. Whatever it is, just be present. Engage the heart; disengage the mind. For there is real goodness love and freedom here. Share any examples with us on our blog page – we love to hear from you.

​We each in our own way, can take the path of service. We do not have to be a king or a queen or even a minister. We simply have, in our hearts, the deep desire to honour, support, respect and encourage those around us, so that each may know their inner light, worth and Truth. This happens successfully when we first honour, respect and support ourselves on our journey. As we believe in our self, our Divine Self, we can help others believe in themselves. This is the true path of service.
 
The other message to me was that this can be joyful. Yes there may be a sense of duty and responsibility. But as King Charles reflects, there is also deep joy, for when we give from our hearts, we receive love and joy in return.
 
So let us bless our King and Queen as they continue in their path of service. May humility, strength, compassion and respect continue to guide them, as they show the huge, life changing benefits that helping another brings.
 
And may we serve with the same humility, respect, strength and compassion, recognising the light within us all that is here to shine and radiate joy, love and peace.

Rev Kimerie Mapletoft
Director of Silent Unity and Daily Word UK