"Precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little." Isaiah 28:10
"Precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little." Isaiah 28:10
Sometimes in life one might meet someone who shines so radiantly that you see a special beauty in them. It’s not your modern day sort of beauty, the sort that is enhanced by various products on the market. No, this beauty is deep, so deep that it radiates and is visible in someone’s appearance and demeanour.
Mandela exuded this beauty, this sense of full contentment, of being comfortable within himself. Could it be that Mandela’s beauty was brought about by the way he thought? Could it be his ability to forgive, his gentle nature, and his perseverance for equality, that has caused his beautiful appearance? Mandela was a compassionate, loving, fair man, a man who believed every one has the right to live equally. He lived and followed his beliefs.
So I ask the question: does our thought effect the way we look? My answer would be yes, for if our thought is happy we smile, if our thought is angry we scowl. Our thoughts are manifest as physical expressions. So if surface thoughts affect our appearance, then surely those deeper thoughts that make up who we are must have an impact on our appearance and even our well being.
Could the best beauty regime be to make sure we have a beautiful thought? How about dusting away fear, hate, resentment, and letting love fill our thought, love for all we meet? Even though Mandela was on the receiving end of injustices to him and his people, he didn't spend his incarceration time hating. No, during his incarceration Mandela learnt to forgive, to love openly, inclusively, and to have the integrity and humility to move forward in thought. Even though this man was shut away for 27 years, his thought was not shut away. He knew all he strove for was good. He couldn't physically be out in the world, yet mentally he carried on despite physical walls around him. His thought was so based on goodness, fairness, and unity that it had a powerful affect not just on one country’s needs, but on the whole world.
This man’s thought was truly beautiful. I feel Mandela’s ability to think selflessly, to care and carry on despite incarceration, was pivotal to his beauty. I am going to try a beauty regime, first by making sure my thought is loving fair, and selfless, and then seeing if this beautiful way of thinking will bring on radiant results. As a Christian Scientist I feel it apt to use a few lines from our books which sum up what I am trying to convey.
“A little more grace, a motive made pure, a few truths tenderly told, a heart softened, a character subdued, a life consecrated, would restore the right action of the mental mechanism and make manifest the movement of body and soul in accord with God.”
Miscellaneous Writings by Mary Baker Eddy, p 354