“Get busy using the Truth you know. Love those about you in a practical way; pay no attention to what others are doing, in so far as to make comparisons. Bring forth your own joyous world of love, friendship, beauty and plenty. God is giving everything required to build such a world. There is within you the God-given intelligence to build such a world. Get at it!”

  —From How to Let God Help You, by Myrtle Fillmore   

Thursday, October 6, 2011, will mark the 80th anniversary of the death of Myrtle Fillmore, the greatly loved and revered mystical co-founder of Unity.

I have often wondered what Myrtle would say if she reappeared on the scene here at Unity. What would she think of all that is going on?  I think it might go something like this:

“Hello, dear friends. For eight decades I have been observing Unity from my new abode in the ethers. Today, on the anniversary of my having left this earthly plane, I am returning to bring you a special message.

I’ve noticed that you often say that when people discover Unity for the first time, they feel like they’ve come home. So today I would like to suggest that you come home to yourself, Unity. From where I sit, it appears you have lost your way—forgotten who you are.  

I hear the impassioned debate about whether Unity is Christian or not. I witness confusion over how Unity can praise the example of Jesus and still honor all paths to God. I see the worry over whether the Unity movement will live on.      

And I say to you: Come home, Unity. You are getting distracted by the ego and caught up in the outer. You are forgetting to practice the very Truth you seek to share.    

The important thing is not whether Unity calls itself Christian but whether you are doing your work to achieve Christ Consciousness. Are you turning within to discover and develop Christ in you—your hope of glory? This is your most important task, and it is the one that will ultimately have the greatest impact on the world.

Instead of asking whether Unity is Christian, ask yourself whether Jesus set an example that you admire and want to emulate. If the answer is yes, then speak of him with love and pride, and aim to elevate your consciousness according to his example.  

If the answer is no, do not feel obligated to speak of Jesus at all. The point was never to worship Jesus the man but to learn from what he (and for that matter all spiritual masters) taught.

I know you’ve wondered how Charles and I could start a movement of practical Christianity while also honoring all paths to God. It’s really very simple. In our estimation, to follow the teachings of Jesus is to be a lover of all humanity. When Jesus broke through boundaries to associate with outcasts, the disenfranchised, the sick, the poor, the Samaritans, women and others, he was boldly declaring that the kingdom of God is for everyone—regardless of their class, status, beliefs, and we might say, religion. He could just as easily have been reaching out to Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. For Jesus beheld the Divine in all people.

And so it is that Unity follows the teachings of Jesus while recognizing each individual’s right to choose their own path. At the root of it all is unconditional love. That is what is important—not whether you choose Jesus or Buddha or Mohammed as your role model, or describe yourself as a Christian, a Buddhist, a Muslim or, as I recently read in Unity Magazine, a Buddhist-Christian.

The label doesn’t matter. What matters is that you open your heart to the timeless truth that we are all expressions of God. Then speak that truth with courage and conviction. 

And never relinquish your inquiring mind for anyone else’s statements or beliefs—even ours! Everything Charles and I did—our prayers, our lectures, our literature—were intended to point you to the Source within your own spiritual consciousness.

So when you speak to others, remember you are sharing your Truth—not a codified, dogmatic, prepackaged Truth. Remember, too, that it is your life that is your message, far more than the words you speak. 

If you lose your way, and you will from time to time, remember the sacred power of the Silence. It is where you find God. It holds the answer to every question. Turn to it regularly and your path will be made clear. Live by the wisdom of that loving, eternal presence, as individuals, as an organization, as a community. It is the light that shines for you.”