Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing,
There is a field. I'll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass,
The world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase each other
Doesn't make any sense.

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing,
There is a field. I'll meet you there.
—Rumi


Beyond ideas of wrong and right … this was not a familiar concept to me for much of my life. The faith tradition of my childhood and every interaction I had with religion told me there was “a right” and “a wrong.” Essentially, I was born wrong, but if I did as I was told, if I believed this way, then I could become right with God. It would be an understatement to say this belief system didn't work for me.

Being born wrong just seemed … well, wrong. But I couldn't articulate that as a teenager. For many years I “walked the streets” of anger, rejection and confusion—until the day I walked into a Unity Church in Panama City, Florida.

I knew nothing of Unity, and I had never heard of New Thought. I had not set foot in a church in close to 20 years. Little did I know what I was walking into … there was a warmth, an aura of love and an acceptance that took my breath away. (Actually, it scared the hell out of me.) There was a safe feeling, an openness and a freedom that I had never experienced before.

The minister, Rev. Jo Ann Dubroillet, said from the pulpit, “We are not here to tell you what to believe. Here's what we believe, take what resonates with you, what you can demonstrate in your own life.” It was in that loving environment of friendship, creativity and exploration that the seeds of consciousness were sown for me.

Week after week in my Unity church, I was presented with clear ideas to consider. Unity's five principles changed my life. To help me remember, I once made them into a single sentence. God the Good, as me, expressing and creating through my thoughts, my prayers, my very life.

The emphasis at Unity of Panama City was on learning, exploring and growing; the focus was on practical demonstration. Coming from a past that included dogma, rules and rigidity, I reveled in the opportunity to freely explore new beliefs. I loved that Unity didn't seem to argue doctrine.

In a new member class, I learned how Charles Fillmore had studied the world religions and took only what worked for him. I heard his declarations, “In this Babel I will go to headquarters … The truth we teach is not new nor do we claim special spiritual revelation … and I reserve the right to change my mind!” For me, he became the quintessential spiritual explorer!

When I first came to Unity Village for Spiritual Education and Enrichment (SEE) classes, I was surprised at the differing viewpoints and understandings of what Unity taught. Having been exposed to Unity teachings from a singular perspective I was unnerved by the vehemence of some of my fellow students whose beliefs approached the level of dogma.

After I began to travel to other Unity churches to speak, I began to see the many different expressions of Unity. Some I would describe as more “New Age,” some had a more interfaith focus on world religion—you might hear the Bible and the Buddha mentioned in the same breath. Other Unity churches seemed more traditionally Christian in expression, and some were deeply metaphysical. Some even approached what I would call “Unity fundamentalism.” Which one is the real Unity I asked? My answer is that they all are expressions of Unity.

Each different expression of Unity was simply a congregation working out their Truth for themselves. Each built upon Unity's five principles in their own way, becoming a unique expression of community within the framework of practical Christianity. I believe Charles Fillmore would be thrilled with the many expressions of Unity that are being presented today. In a 1918 tract, Fillmore wrote that practical Christianity “has no dogmas, nor creeds, nor are its students expected to believe anything which they cannot logically demonstrate to be true.” Spiritual exploration is one of the many legacies of the Fillmores. I for one say, take what works for you—what you can demonstrate in your own life. And remember …

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing,
There is a field. I'll meet you there.
—Rumi

Mark Fuss is a third-year ministerial student at Unity Institute in the Certificate of Ministry Program. Mark will graduate from Unity Institute and be ordained in June 2009. A former president of the Unity Institute Student Association, Mark is passionate about the school's programs. He hails from Unity of Panama City, Florida, and is open to his next right and perfect opportunity.