It seems as though we hear and use the word quite often and I would like to pose the question, “Do we actually need anything?”.

When I typed the word “need” into the search field of The Christian Science Monitor website, there were almost 100,000 matching results. When I typed it into The New York Times website: 300,000 results.

There sure are a lot of needy thoughts out there!

So what exactly does the word mean?

“Need”, defined by my Oxford English Dictionary, has two definitions, 1) requirement and 2) state of great difficulty or misfortune.

It is fascinating to me how the two definitions are related. When we think of a requirement, we think of some type of demand, often relating to a person, job, thing, or place. The second definition is, quite frankly, those requirements being unfulfilled.

Today, it can seem overwhelming to fulfill and be fulfilled, as we are either “needing” from others, or they are “needing” from us, or even more often, we are “needing” from God.

In the King James Version of The Bible, the word “need” is used almost 40 times, 34 times in the New Testament. Here are just a couple of the comforting versus containing the word…

“…your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him” (Matt 6:8)

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ” (Phil 4:19)

Mary Baker Eddy, who founded The Christian Science Monitor, also uses the word “need”, in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, and through her use of the word, we begin to understand from a more spiritual perspective, what exactly it means to “need”.

One particular citation from the book states that, “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need”. This quote echoes the sentiment of the above Bible versus and also helps us see God as a good and loving God, willing and able to provide us with even the most basic of human needs.

So why are we all so “hung up” on all of the “needs” that we are already receiving from and infinite and loving God?!?!?

Perhaps we would begin to see the current downpour of blessings from Divine Love, if we flipped things around a bit and instead of demanding more, we simply asked, “What does God “need” from me?”.

Just think about it for a sec…What would happen if the entire world, or the entire Country, or your entire town, or even just your own self, stopped thinking about themselves and started thinking about the needs of Love?

Here is a list of results I think might happen…

More Love

More Peace

More Patience

More Kindness

More Love

More Acceptance

More Temperance

More Solutions

More Love

More Tolerance

More Fun!

More Creativity

More individuality

More Love

And did I mention more Love?!?!

When we ask God what is needed of us, then we simply cannot be lead amiss, as we are being directed by Love, and no result can occur from Love except more love!!! And could Love leave anything out? Nope.

Love is complete, whole, and above all…infinite. There is enough Love to go around for all, and we can only see that fulfillment, when seeing it through the eyes of Love.

So, when I am tempted to “need” something or someone, or am being “needed” by someone or something, I am going to try to recognize it for what it is…an opportunity to understand more fully how Divine Love is already at work, perfecting our lives and our experiences, through perfect, infinite, and fulfilling love.

I am personally going to focus on needing less and giving God more.

I look forward to watching Love’s work unfold and hope that you too will share your thoughts on Love!

As I continue to read reports on the Haiti earthquake disaster, I am humbled by my inability to possibly comprehend the devastation and loss that the people of Haiti are dealing with at this time. As I turn my thought to prayer, my humble hope begins to shed a glint of light on my darkened thought and I am grateful to know that prayer is effective and powerful, especially in the face of adversity.

An article from today’s Christian Science Monitor, entitled “Haiti earthquake: Outside Port-au-Prince, Haitians say they’ve been forgotten”, particularly struck a chord with me, as it focuses attention on those individuals and communities outside the Capital of Haiti…bringing their needs to mainstream media. The desperation of the “forgotten” individuals, in the above mentioned article, has inspired me to affirm in my own thought, the everpresent love of God, bestowed on all of his children. During a tragedy, it is tempting to continue to divide the “haves” and “have nots”, even if what is being “had” is simply help. But we must continue to embrace all of humanity in God’s “everlasting arms of love” and refuse to believe for a moment, that anyone can be forgotten.

In The Bible, the Book of Psalms is full of inspirations and lamentations of those in need. After reading through a few chapters of this beautiful book, I was struck by the sometimes desperate yet unwavering hope of the Psalmists. This hope was and still is a comfort to those who read it, as it is truly Divine inspiration, leading us towards a clearer understanding of God’s love for us, no matter where we are or what circumstance we are in.

The current picture of Haiti and its people is very bleak, but now, more than ever, is the time to cling to “hope” as an active and useful prayer amidst the rubble.  While It can be difficult to rise above the gruesome picture and see this “hope”, it is the necessarily vehicle of our thought, that allows God’s goodness to bless us, those around us, and those very far from us.

In this morning’s “Daily Lift”, published by the Christian Science Board of Lectureship, Elise Moore quotes from the below poem entitled, “Hope” by Mary Baker Eddy.

“Hope happifies Life, at the altar or bower,
And loosens the fetters of pride and of power;
It comes through our tears, as the soft summer rain,
To beautify, bless, and make joyful again.”

As I embrace in my own prayers, all the people of Haiti, I look hopefully forward to the good and glory that will continue to bless and save, and prove God’s unbiased love for all mankind.

As the Psalmists said, “For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.”

Read up, Pray Hard, and Make a Difference,

Jordan

On Bosses Day 2009, The Christian Science Monitor highlighted America’s Top 5 leaders, one of whom is Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase. In a speech he gave at Harvard Business school, he stated,

“If you want to be a leader, it can’t be about money. And it can’t be about you. It’s about what you will eventually leave behind. What would you want on your tombstone. Think about that when you become a leader. For mine, I just hope they say ‘We miss him, and the world is a better place for him having been here.’ ”

What inspires me about this statement is that Mr. Dimon places the hope that one individual can actually have a lasting impact on the world we live in, above all monetary importance and personal fame. And isn’t that all any of us want anyway? To feel like we have made a difference? To feel that we matter?

The Monitor has a specific segment on there website called, “Making a Difference”, full of inspiring stories of minor and major ways that people are changing the world for the better. Head to the link below for a plethora of moving stories.

http://www.csmonitor.com/makingadifference/

Another inspiring story is that of 350.org. On October 24th, an International Day of Action has been called to raise awareness of global climate change. People all over the world are planning events, incorporating the number 350, encouraging people to make a difference in their immediate communities with regards to this issue.

The premise of this day of action is that 350 parts per million of CO2 in the atmosphere is the safe limit for humanity. We are currently at 387 ppm. Over 3,700 actions in 163 countries have already been planned to share this knowledge.

For more information, head to www.350.org.

While I believe that knowledge is power and awareness is key, I also believe that prayer is more powerful. And prayer, paired with knowledge and awareness absolutely leads to permanent and lasting solutions for all problems, both personal and global.

I would like to invite all of you to join me in praying for this seeming issue of “climate change” on Saturday, October 24th. Whether we spend 350 seconds, 350 minutes, or write a prayer of 350 words, we too can uplift our own thought and therefore the thought of the world, as we listen and watch for a more permanent peace around this seeming issue of global warming.

In her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of The Christian Science Monitor defines prayer as “an absolute faith that all things are possible to God”.

Join me on Saturday, in whatever way you can, to see the infinite possibilities that God is unfolding right before our eyes!

Please feel free to post your thoughts and insights surrounding this issue!

Read up, Pray, hard, and Make a Difference!!!

This morning after a quick jog down by Boulder creek, I stopped at a local coffee shop for a chai and to read up on what’s happening in the news. While I learned a bit about Islamic relations in Denver and was informed about tonight’s kick off to Denver’s professional Hockey season, I was disappointed at the lack of International news being covered in my local newspapers. Yes, Boulder’s possible ban on nudity is interesting (if not hilarious), but what about the Tsunami victims and the progress at the Geneva talks?

Enter…The Christian Science Monitor!

I spent about a month without convenient internet access and came to realize that my knowledge of the outside world was dwindling at a fairly rapid rate. Now that I am back online (thank you Jeff and Becky!), I feel much more equipped to be a positive contributor in my immediate community, whether through prayer or practice.

Monitor Prayer Watch has relocated to Boulder and I look forward to contributing to my new, wonderful community intellectually, practically, and above all spiritually!

Please stay tuned for topics and events to come!

Many of you have probably viewed the You Tube video of Susan Boyle singing “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables on the TV show, Britain’s Got Talent…and if you have not, please do so right now!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

OK, so now that you have viewed the video, you may also have a similar feeling as I do about this unlikely heroine from Scotland.

In the article, “The Susan Boyle phenomenon: redefining beauty, grace, and success?”, The Monitor highlights humanity’s current need to feel hope as well as perceive beauty in a whole new light. Here is the link,

http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0421/p06s13-wogn.html

The founder of The Christian Science Monitor, Mary Baker Eddy, states in her book Science and Health, “The recipe for beauty is to have less illusion and more Soul” (247:31).

Susan Boyle continues to shock those who watch the You Tube video, into a state of receptivity, that allows the viewer to witness true, Soulful beauty, absent of size zeros and airbrushing.

As the article states, over 40 million people have viewed the clip, which leads me to believe, there is a hunger for the kind of hope Susan provides with her raw and surprising talent. Almost more interesting than Susan herself, are the judges reactions, where you see pure, preconceived judgment turn into respect and appreciation.

As a soon-to-not-be New Yorker, little moves me to tears theses days. It is indeed true that NYC makes you hard, but after watching Susan’s video, something stirred within me…the hope that we can recognize our false perceptions as indeed false, and that we are all capable of seeing each other in a whole new light…perhaps even as God sees us.

Similar to The Monitor’s article, Thu Huffington Post published an article commenting on the You Tube video of the “Sound of Music, Train Station Dance”.

Here is the link to the article and video…

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/12/sound-of-music-train-stat_n_186016.html

It is nearly impossible to get through this video without beaming from ear to ear, wishing that you too, could be dancing along in the train station to the lovely voices of Julie Andrews and the Von Trapp children!

In our sometimes far too cynical world, we are often left starved for joy, hope, and true beauty. It is also disheartened to see the abuse of the internet and sites like You Tube. But if, by watching, we are to find brief, if fleeting, moments of simple enlightenment to the humanity within ourselves, I am all for it!

Enjoy watching and reading!!!

I know MPW has been dormant for a couple of months but I was inspired tonight to address an issue that is starting to eat away at me and possibly others as well.

I just finished listening to President Obama’s most recent address and although I agree whole heartedly with his view and opinions about what direction he would like to country to head in, I felt frustrated by the partisan “red tape” that seems to be preventing forward movement.

I was fortunate to be in Washington for Obama’s Inauguration this year and the hope and realistic optimism in Washington that day was monumental and completely inspiring! There was a sense that the people of America had spoken and put their trust in a man who would listen…yet now, it seems like the people’s voice is, once again, beginning to become muffled under a stifling band of partisan political mumbo-jumbo.

After watching tonight’s broadcast, I found myself emotionally reacting to the stubborn stances and snails pace that our government seems to be moving at…all of which seem to be preventing forward movement. After I calmed down from my emotional outburst, I began to challenge myself to search for a different, more permanent perspective, on the fear of disagreements and human opinions, having the power to prevent progress.

I am not a pessimist at heart, which is why I appreciate The Christian Science Monitor’s article, “GOP centrists give Obama a majority – barely”. The piece sheds a more hopeful light on the politicians that live in the center of their party…where most of the American people typically dwell! It is quite refreshing to read about a more common and less radical point of view with regards to politics, as I believe, as does Obama, that when we meet on common ground…success is inevitable.

Here is the link to the article…

http://features.csmonitor.com/economyrebuild/2009/02/09/gop-centrists-give-obama-a-majority-%e2%80%93-barely/

Here is the thing…what we all have in common is a desire. A desire for change, peace, happiness, justice, prosperity, etc…and it is not what we desire that makes us similar but it is the desire itself that unites us. On the first page of the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy states, “Desire is prayer; and no loss can occur from trusting God with our desires, that they may be moulded and exalted before they take form in words and deeds”. I simply love the simplicity of this statement…that our desire is enough! By letting go of our flawed and limited, human opinion of how our desires should be fulfilled, and by letting God shape and perfect our desires in thought, they will be fulfilled and in an elevated and perfect way.

Mrs. Eddy also describes God as “Principle; Mind; Soul; Spirit; Life; Truth; Love”(P. 587). How comforting to know that Principle, Love, and Truth are moulding our desires. And by trusting our collective desires in God, (Spirit, Soul and infinite Mind), our desires can only produce harmony and unity in the practical manifestation of the Life that is God.

Please join me in this spiritual understanding of desire as prayer. Remember as the Apostle Paul wrote, “Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?”…join me in uplifting thought towards the unity that is inevitable for not only for ourselves, but for our government, our country, and ultimately our world!

Read up, pray hard, and make a difference!

Jordan

The evening began in the basement of my store where Patrick, William, and I whipped up some lunch bags, complete with Turkey/Cranberry sandwiches, Clementines, juice boxes, and of course a mini candy canes for a hint of Holiday cheer! We made about 50 lunch sacks and then, joined by Whitnie and Rebecca, ventured outside to begin our quest to satiate the hunger of homeless New Yorkers. As we began our search, in the frigid city air (30 degrees to be exact), it became stunningly clear, after finding only 3 homeless people in Union Square park (usually filled with needy New Yorkers), that it might actually be too cold, even for the homeless. And although we had 50 sandwiches to give away, I think we all found that realization quite comforting.

After thoroughly surveying the Union Square area, we headed up-town to Madison Square Park, continuing our search for the tired and weary. We arrived at a vacant park site, all shivering (me in particular, wondering why I had forgotten to wear tights, a hat, and gloves?), and we all concurred that our best bet would be, to head below and do a thorough search of the underground Subway stations. This is when we split up…”divide and conquer” right?!

Patrick headed West, while William headed to 34th St., and we headed back down town to the 14th St. Subway station. We found a few more takers then decided to head up to 42nd street to finish off our bag. We had to make a quick pit-stop back at the store, where low and behold, we found William again. He told us how he was able to get rid of his entire bag and had come back for another one! He is such a good egg! So William continued on to Thompkin’s Square Park while Whitnie, Rebecca, and I headed to Times Square and this is where it got interesting.

After beginning our search at the Times Square Station, we encountered a Homeless person who took our lunch bag, only after ensuring that there was no pork in it, and then met a homeless man who refused the offering when he discovered that we did not have a “vegetarian option”…only in New York! Rebecca likes to call this familiar musician “stampy” because he only plays the guitar when stamping his bare feet on the floor of the station…we are still unsure if “stampy” is actually homeless, or just the ultimate hippie.

With just three sandwiches left, we headed to Port Authority to complete our evening. One of the three sandwiches, we left with sleeping Molly, (a nearby police man asked us, in a slightly protective tone, if we knew Molly, or if we were just giving her food).

As we ended our evening, heading back into the chilly, chilly air, the reality of the cold settled in my thought and it became hard to believe that people really do live in these conditions. One individual shared that when the weather drops below a certain temperature, there is a team that goes out into the streets, searching for the homeless to encourage them into shelters for protection…I do hope this is the reason it was so difficult to locate any takers Friday night, but am grateful that we did experience moments of small town caring, in a city as big as New York. It really is a small town, and it only takes an unselfish moment to recognize that the people of New York do care about and for another, just in unconventional, creative, and sometimes untraditional ways.

Throughout the evening, the most common expression of thanks was, “bless you”. It is interesting that amongst the neediest of the needy, God’s message is still being expressed. To “bless” means, to call God’s favor upon, and what a beautiful example of God’s presence being expressed…both being given and received.

The biggest of thanks for those who packaged, those who passed out, and above all…those who prayed!!

The NY Times article, “Tight Times Even Tighter for Charities”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/15/business/15cost.html?_r=1&scp=10&sq=charity&st=nyt&oref=slogin

and The Christian Science Monitor’s article “Signs that, amid tough times, Americans will keep giving”

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1028/p02s01-usec.html.

The Monitor’s article highlights the consistency of giving in the past, even during financial ups and downs, but I was most pleased to see that although corporate giving may suffer in the coming months, the individual is mostly committed to maintaining a sense of charity…this a comforting thought, when confronted with the idea that no one person can make a difference.

As a New Yorker, charity and giving are opportunities that I am confronted with on a daily basis. Whether on the subway or right outside of Bloomingdales, there seem to be an unlimited number of needs being voiced, and even sometimes demanded, amidst the pictures of wealth and poverty that are painted in such extremes in this glorious city. But I often wonder if my dollar will really help the bum on the sidewalk turn his life around? This is where “thought” and “motive” enter in, to play their part in the permanency if spiritual giving!

In my Oxford English dictionary, Charity is defined as “Loving kindness; an unwillingness to think badly of others”…wow! I often use this definition when striving to understand how Jesus gracefully and compassionately loved all of mankind, enabling them to rise up out of their sometimes desperate circumstances and become better men. Jesus understood that God is Love and was able to view man through that loving spiritual lens, and through this divine perception of mankind, the shackles of limitation imposed on mortal man and mortal thought, were destroyed, and God’s man, in the image and likeness of Love, became apparent.

Paul writes in the KJV of the Bible, “[Charity] beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”(I Cor. 13:7). When replacing charity with Love (as is done in the NRVS version of the Bible) we get an even larger scope of the power of Love! “Love” beareth the weight of worry that seems to be plaguing the world right now; “Love” believeth in Love’s ability to uplift the thought of mankind to a more peaceful, united brotherhood; “Love” carries the hope of all mankind for a more balanced, spiritually sound future; “Love” endureth every false picture of mankind as needy, unhappy, in-want, because Love knows that with God, all things are possible, and through this heightened understanding, we will find lasting healing, peace, and unity. When we take the responsibility off of ourselves and place it in the hands of Love and Love’s expression, and enormous weight is lifted and nothing seems impossible because we are being animated by Love!

Please join me in a charity of “loving thoughts” in the coming months and by viewing all of mankind through a spiritual lens of Love, we will surely see what a difference thought can make!

And please also join me in a more practical offering on Friday, November 21st, for a sandwich-give-away in Union Square! We will meet at 7:45, on the corner of 16th St. and 5th Ave, where we will head to Union Square and hand-out homemade sandwiches, fruit, and water to those in need.

If you have any questions please feel free to shoot me an email at monitorprayerwatch@gmail.com.

Read up, Pray hard, and make a difference!

Jordan

Well, we are just six days away from election day and because most of us are probably decided on which direction we will be voting, I thought it might be nice to give some specific attention to the important “issues” at hand in this election.

Our country is currently being challenged on many fronts, and it is clear that both of the candidates believe that change is needed. The economy, healthcare, the war in Iraq, and the environment, are just some of the heated issues requiring change, so why not spend our next Monitor Prayer Watch changing the way we think about these issues from a limited, finite perspective to an unbiased and spiritually enlightened understanding. There are a couple of recent articles from The Christian Science Monitor addressing the economy and healthcare; I would like to use these as a springboard for our discussion on Thursday’s night.

Here are some things to think on beforehand:

Issue #1…

The Economy

• Where does our sense of responsibility come from and how can we relinquish our personal, overwhelming sense to a higher understanding of control, balance, and spiritual affluence?

• How can we gain a more spiritual understanding of trust in order to heal the wounds from the seeming severe irresponsible guardianship over our finances, both individually and collectively?

• Is there an absolute principle at work in the economic stability of our country, and in fact, the world?

• Where does a true sense of balance come from and how can that be reflected in our economy?

Here is a link to an article addressing economic concerns of late,

Which candidate’s plan would best ease the mortgage crisis?
http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2008/10/26/which-candidate%e2%80%99s-plan-would-best-ease-the-mortgage-crisis/

And issue #2…

Healthcare

• Where does health come from?

• Through a more spiritual understanding of health, can we guarantee everyone’s right to affordable healthcare?

• What do principle and balance have to do with healthcare?

A couple of recent articles addressing healthcare concerns,
McCain, Obama healthcare plans at a glance
http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2008/10/20/mccain-obama-healthcare-plans-at-a-glance/

Candidates’ healthcare fixes: tax credits vs. more federal spending
http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2008/10/20/candidates%e2%80%99-healthcare-fixes-tax-credits-vs-more-federal-spending/
Please join us for a discussion of these topics, at Think Coffee located on Mercer between 3rd and 4th, 7pm, Thursday, October 30. *See the events page for more specific information on the event

Read up, Pray hard, and Make a difference!

Jordan

Find more out about this exciting change by following the links below…

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1029/p25s01-usgn.htm

or The New York Times article

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/29/business/media/29paper.html?_r=1&ei=5070&emc=eta1&oref=slogin

Happy reading!

Jordan