Is It All In Divine Order?

I realize that not everyone is mourning the outcome of the Presidential election, and that many are in fact celebrating it. I honor that. However, it is also vitally important that we acknowledge that there are many who are grieving.

I have heard and read some say, in response to those who are upset, things such as, “Just get over it. It’s not a big deal.” But, for those who believe that something essential about our humanity was wounded by the election, it is a big deal, and it is painful. I encourage us to allow our brothers and sisters to have their feelings and not ask them to “get over it.”

In addition to that, and I spoke about this briefly in my lesson on Sunday (listen here) or (watch here), I assert that it is not helpful for us, in Unity, to say, “It’s all in Divine Order.”

I often hear people in Unity say, “It’s all in Divine Order” when something happens that one might judge as “negative.” It seems to be our New Thought version of the more traditional Christian phrase, “It’s God’s Will.”

“It’s all in Divine Order” seems to imply a predestined plan. It suggests that there is a power or deity out there somewhere calling the shots. Further, it indicates that we are in no way responsible for what happens and that everything is being controlled by a master puppeteer.

“Divine Order” in its proper use is another way of saying that everything happens under the orderly operation of universal laws, such as the law of attraction and the law of cause and effect. These are two of the primary spiritual laws under which all comes into being. These are foundational to the teaching of Unity and other New Thought movements. In Unity we often refer to this as “Mind – Idea – Expression” or the “Law of Mind Action.” We also use the phrase, “What you think about comes about.”

Everything is always in “Divine Order,” not because God out there somewhere is deciding what should or should not happen, but because you and I are deciding much of what happens according to our consciousness and the actions we take.

In their book, Get Over It, former Dean of Spiritual Education and Development, Dr. Paul Hasselbeck and Bil Holton, Ph.D., Spiritual Leader at Unity Spiritual Life Center in Durham, NC say this about the concept of “Divine Order,”

Most people get Divine Order out-of-order! There is no such thing as Divine Order as we ordinarily use it. This idea has been poorly understood and misused over the years. This phrase is used more as a statement of resignation rather than the statement of power it is meant to be.

In his book, The Twelve Powers, Charles Fillmore, cofounder of Unity, defined Divine Order in the following way:

“[We] can never exercise dominion until [we] know who and what [we are] and, knowing, brings forth that knowledge into the external by exercising it in Divine Order, which is mind, idea, manifestation.” (Pg 113)

It is clear that Charles Fillmore did not see Divine Order as a divine fiat or divine proclamation. He saw it as a Divine Process, a point of power. In other Fillmore writings we learn that everything comes into expression through the process of Mind-Idea-Expression (Divine Order). It is a universal process.

Further, we do not teach a doctrine of predestination. There is no Divine Plan that we are playing out. The Divine Plan, as we understand it, is for each of us to realize our Divinity and live it, so that we bring forth into manifestation all that is in alignment with Peace, Love and Joy, the essential nature of the Divine, thus of each of us.

How we do that is not dictated by a “Divine Plan,” but by how each of us chooses to embody our divinity and live from it. The “Divine Plan,” if we want to use that phrase, for humanity is that we co-create a world in which the needs of all human beings are met; where we respect and care for our environment, our planet, and all its inhabitant; and where we treat each other with respect, compassion and equity. This Divine Plan unfolds according to the choices we make each and every day.

As Unity minister and author Eric Butterworth said,

The only predestiny in life is the ultimate unfoldment of the divine creature you are. But the direction you take in realizing this outforming of the Christ indwelling will always be determined by your consciousness.¹

We are mistaken if we believe that there is a “Divine Plan” working itself out in “Divine Order” and that we are to accept whatever happens as that. Think about it in terms of your physical body.

I venture to say that few, if any of us when we feel a pain or experience an imbalance or dis-ease in the body, say to ourselves, “It’s in Divine Order” and choose to do nothing about it. On the contrary, when we feel a pain, most of us immediately do something to alleviate the symptoms. If the symptoms persist, we take action to treat the cause. There are not many of us who upon breaking a leg would simply say, “It’s in Divine Order,” and leave it at that. No, we do what is needed to mitigate the pain and treat the injury.

I assert that aspects of the body of humanity are broken and in pain and that we must do something to ease the pain as well as to assess and treat the cause. We cannot simply observe the suffering in the world, our brothers and sisters who are in pain because of economic, food or social injustice and say to ourselves or to them, “It’s all in Divine Order “and just go about our business. No, we say, ‘It’s in Divine Order,” because it has manifested according to our consciousness and resulting actions, and then we do what we can to soothe the pain and assess the cause.

We take action to connect with those who are in pain, listen to them, hear them, and treat them with respect and compassion. But, we do not stop there. We must also do whatever is needed to determine the cause of the pain and treat it. There are political and societal structures in place that support the brokenness and contribute to the pain. We must do what we can to be sure that they are not allowed to continue.

We, in the Unity movement, unlike in many other spiritual and religion traditions, all too often shy away from engaging in the political process. I have heard many say that it is not our purpose; that we are about spiritual development and not about social change. But, I assert that we must be about social change. We must act from our spiritually awakened consciousness to help affect change in our social, political and cultural structures so that those who are hurting and in pain have the opportunity to get the help they need, ease the suffering and heal.

This Presidential election reveled to us, if we are willing to open our eyes to see it, a great deal of pain being felt by the people of this county. Pain was and is being expressed on both sides of the issues. This election revealed a cry for healing from many within our society. Now is our opportunity to respond. It is our opportunity to help soothe the pain, investigate the cause, and begin an honest healing process.

The body of humanity is feeling the pain of our brokenness. We cannot continue to stand idly by and say with resignation, “It’s all in Divine Order” and do nothing. Yes, “All is in Divine Order.” It is in “Divine Order” because it is the effect of our thoughts, beliefs and corresponding actions.

We are not witnessing the unfolding of a “Divine Plan.” We are witnessing, as A Course in Miracles says, a call for love and a cry for help. Are we listening? We must not continue to turn a deaf ear and closed mind to the suffering of our brothers and sisters. We must take action.

Please take a look at the initiatives being sponsored by Interfaith Alliance of Colorado. I would love to see us at Unity Spiritual Center Denver join the Interfaith Force for Good and have a presence with this group. Are you with me?

Now is the time and we are the ones.

¹ In the Flow of Life, Eric Butterworth, page 77