1954 Chicago Practitioner Class

Joel S. Goldsmith

60B – Contemplation, Meditation 3/4

Now, as we practice all of the principles that have been revealed here, or rather while we are practicing it, we begin the activity of contemplation and meditation. There is only one legitimate object of contemplation, and that is God and the things of God. We select a period each day, one in which we will have the maximum amount of time undisturbed, undisturbed by business cares, household cares, family cares, duties. We select the time when we’re apt to have the greatest period of quiet. Usually we select a place; if possible, we return to that same place each day, whether it is some place in our home or whether it is some place in a metaphysical center or temple, or a church—it makes no difference where it is—as long as we can find a quiet time and a quiet place. Then we drop all of our human problems; at first that’s a difficult thing to do, but gradually it becomes possible for us to take the word God and begin our contemplation of God and the things of God. We can do it in something like this manner, not to be thought of as a formula, but rather as an example:

God, God. God. Thou will keep them in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on God. That’s why I’m here. I’ve come to this quiet hour to keep my mind stayed on God, to contemplate God and the things of God. Why God? Because God is the source of all that is. Every blessing that is upon this earth is an emanation or an expression of God: the sun that warms us, the rain that feeds our plants, vegetables, the processes of nature that form the diamonds in the soil, the iron, the oil. All of these processes are of God, and just think—they were given to us for our use—God must have known a million years ago that we were going to have automobiles because all the way back there He began forming oil in the ground, which we could use as gasoline. Millions of years ago, God must have known there was going to be a big population on earth, He gave us so much ground with such capacity for bringing forth trees, fruits, vegetables. God filled the oceans just full of fish for some good purpose. Whether or not God meant man to eat them or had some other purpose in mind, there they are— fish in the seas, pearls, elements that have not yet been extracted from the sea, elements that some day will support entire worlds. Whole nations live on the seaweed in the sea. All of this, God’s gift to man: the stars, the tides, the moon, all fulfilling functions of God, yet appearing as blessings of man. It is almost as if God hung that sun up in the sky, millions of miles away from the earth, but just far enough to give us the right amount of warmth and the right amount of coolness. It couldn’t have been accidental. It must have been on purpose.

God really must be the intelligence of this universe, an intelligence full of love and wisdom. God’s love is made evident in the fact that before man appeared on earth, everything was here necessary for his development, for his growth, for his welfare. No wonder the psalmist said, “Oh, how love I Thy law. How love I Thy law.” Thy law is a discipline. Thy law is a government and a protection. See how nature fulfills itself in every detail. God’s love made evident on earth as mother-love, father-love, brother-love, sisterly-love, marital attraction—all of this must emanate from God, because with all personal or human selfishness left out, nothing holier than these relationships between men and women, fathers and sons and mothers and daughters and aunts and uncles, cousins—nothing more wonderful than these relationships, as God ordained them. You see it in the mother-love of the animal towards its offspring, bird to its young. There is an instinct in man, there is an instinct in animals, there is an instinct in birds; and that instinct is all on the love-side until fear comes in, and fear only comes in when marauding starts, deprivation, trying to live off of one another instead of living off of or through God.

Yes indeed, yes indeed, we should not lean unto our own understanding. If only we could just acknowledge God in all our ways, acknowledge God as this great giver of the universe, this great giver of Its Self to the universe; God giving Its own love to men, women, children, animals; God giving Its own intelligence and wisdom and direction and strength to all that is.

H-mmm, just now, just now It said, “And think that God is the father and God is the son.” Just think that we’re not something separate from God. God has evidently incarnated Itself, since God is both the father and the son: God the Father, God the son. Isn’t that wonderful? Isn’t it wonderful to know that God is not only God, but God is also me. God is also my being, my intelligence, my life, my love, my spirit, my source. Just think how close God is to me. Is it any wonder the poet said, “Closer than breathing, nearer than hands and feet?” “The place whereon I stand is holy ground.”” I and the Father are one.” “Thou seest me, thou seest the Father that sent me.” God the Father and God the son.

Why God is my very—I have no fears now, I have no doubts, I don’t have to reach out for God—God is both the father and the son. God the Father, God the son. God is my very being. I don’t have to pray to God. I don’t have to ask God or affirm to God, only acknowledge, just acknowledge: God is my being. Wherever I go, God goes with me. Wherever God is, that’s where I am, ever-present, I and the Father are one. Why, that’s a glorious thing—if I’ve nothing to get down on my knees for, that ought to drive me to my knees. Just think, I and the Father are one. Just think that right here where I stand, God is. All that the Father hath is mine. How glorious. No need to fear what man can do to me. No need to put faith in princes. No need to go begging favors. I and the Father are one; right where I am, God is with all of His bounty, with all of His grace, with all of His love, with all of His joy.