Celebrating Our Differences and

Our One Nature

February might be considered the month of love. It also is the month when the world celebrates and honors black history. Within Centers for Spiritual Living, it is the month of our annual convention.

In recognition of all that February is to so many, we gathered together four black women in leadership within CSL for a virtual conversation. Recapped in brief here, their insights are shared in the February 2020 issue of Guide for Spiritual Living: Science of Mind magazine and on our website at ScienceOfMind.com/Colors-of-Leadership (available on February 1).

The Colors of Love …

in Organizational Leadership

Tracy Brown, RScP, is a Religious Science practitioner from Dallas who is completing her service to the organization as CSL Leadership Chair at the end of February. In talking about how Science of Mind helps her navigate the complexities of life, Brown says, “The principles of Science of Mind call me to the highest standard of personal responsibility. Instead of being a victim or making other people villains, I use the principles to ground me in the good that is possible for me and the world. Then I use our practices to help me embody that good.”

She adds that her passion for inclusion, her skills as a speaker and teacher, and her experience as a leader all work together in surprising ways. “I believe diversity is a divine idea,” she says, “so everywhere I go I get to remind people that the fact there are so many different kinds of people cannot be a mistake or a problem to be fixed. … As a leader in Centers for Spiritual Living, I have had the opportunity to participate in shaping the culture and influencing the strategic direction of the organization.”

The Colors of Love … in Servant Leadership

Crystal Davis, Ph.D., is a CSL laity leader, professional consultant and servant leadership expert from Kansas. She says that her favorite Ernest Holmes quote is, “Freely ye have received, freely give. It is only as we allow the Divine current to flow through us, in and out, that we really express life. Let the one who is sad, depressed or unhappy find some altruistic purpose into which he may pour his whole being and he will find a new inflow of life which he has never dreamed.”

This quote, she says, “is meaningful to me and my message and works through Servant Leadership, as when we give and serve, we are at our greatest joy and love for one another. Holmes taught this very message. My former work in community outreach at CSL Kansas City aligns with this message directly.”

She adds, “Even in my own nonprofit organization, Servant Hearts, we practice service to the students, children and families of Junction City, Geary County, Kansas, and in so doing, we can spread the message of love and service to create a world that works for everyone.”

The Colors of Love … in Service

Rev. Andriette Earl is founding spiritual leader from Heart and Soul Center of Light in Oakland, California. Discussing her own colors of service, she says, “I bring bright, vibrant tones and offer a mature, clear voice for encouragement, empowerment and inclusion.

“I have considered that if Centers for Spiritual Living is not the place where I can bring my truth, then exactly where can I serve, invest and contribute my color, my passion, my skills and my vision? I often think that if indeed CSL is not the place where people like me can be full contributors, then there’s much work for us to do in CSL.”

In examining her service to this work, Earl says, “I know I have a role in this work and that’s why I serve — this is my contribution. My service in our community is to illuminate awareness that CSL must be safe, inclusive and accepting or we are not in alignment with our own vision. As a leader, I am here to remind us of our responsibility and commitment to each other to fully engage our vision and practice the principles, among ourselves. Although, we have not mastered this yet, we must engage the work in earnest.”

The Colors of Love … in Creative Action

Rev. Cynthia James is long-time CSL minister and voice of “The Science of Mind” audiobook, with a global virtual and sacred travel ministry based in Colorado. When asked how she envisions CSL’s future, James said:

“That we step out into a more profound way of touching the hearts and the souls of the masses. I see us having a more powerful voice in the world and inviting people not called to our centers to take a deeper dive into their greatness. We have an extraordinary message, and it is time to boldly step forward. I also see us training young people to be leaders in our organization. I think we have an opportunity to lift up young leaders into powerful positions that can transform and heal.”

A self-described change agent, James says, “I am a champion for transformation. My zone of genius is transmitted through my coaching, speaking, teaching and music. … I am so honored to be a place that mirrors back to humanity that we are here to shine and bring our unique imprints. I work with women all around the world and teach them these principles to live more powerful, authentic and thriving lives.”

The Colors of the Central Flame — Love

—by Ernest Holmes

Love is the central flame of the universe, nay, the very fire itself. It is written that God is Love, and that we are His expressed likeness, the image of the Eternal Being. Love is self-givingness through creation, the impartation of the Divine through the human.

Love is an essence, an atmosphere, which defies analysis, as does Life Itself. It is that which IS and cannot be explained. It is common to all people, to all animal life, and evident in the response of plants to those who love them. Love reigns supreme over all.

The essence of love, while elusive, pervades everything, fires the heart, stimulates the emotions, renews the soul and proclaims the Spirit. Only love knows love, and love knows only love. Words cannot express its depths or meaning. A universal sense alone bears witness to the divine fact: God is Love and Love is God.

— Excerpted from The Science of Mind, page 478.