Skip to footer

A Soul-filled life

Today’s contributor, a lifelong Aretha Franklin fan, shares how a deeper look at what it means to express Soul freed her from recurring bouts of stage fright. 

  • By Allison J. Rose-Sonnesyn

Christian Science Perspective audio edition
Loading the player...

As a lifelong fan of Aretha Franklin, I’ve spent some time the past couple of months reflecting on her large body of work. One of my favorite moments was when she graciously served as a last-minute substitute for her friend Luciano Pavarotti in a performance at the 1998 Grammy Awards. She sang one of his signature performance pieces: “Nessun Dorma,” from Puccini’s opera “Turandot.” Part of what touched me about that performance was that Ms. Franklin unapologetically sang it her way – she made it her own.

Each day we are presented with opportunities to approach challenges and even the mundane in a way that expresses our individuality. As I strive to learn more about how to express myself, I’ve appreciated something I’ve learned in Christian Science: that we all have something specific and valuable to contribute, and that the basis for this is our relation to God.

Christian Science uses “Soul” as a synonym for God, the source of everyone’s identity. This identity is not based on a physical body or limited by genetic predisposition, but rather is spiritual: We are the expression of Soul itself, made to express qualities such as beauty, harmony, and joy.

I also like to think of identity in the way that Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of Christian Science and founder of this newspaper, writes about it in her book “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures”: “The divine Mind maintains all identities, from a blade of grass to a star, as distinct and eternal” (p. 70). She also writes in her work “Retrospection and Introspection,” “Each individual must fill his own niche in time and eternity” (p. 70).

Understanding our unique identity as the spiritual expression of divine Soul can set us free from limitations we may face. Several years ago, I was in Italy preparing to sing in an evening concert of sacred music. Just before the start of the concert, the power went out all over town. Only half of the singers had arrived, and the other half were now unable to get there in time. Also, the organ, which was to accompany us, required electricity to work. Even though we had a full house, it looked as though we might not be able to proceed with the concert.

Since I didn’t have as much experience as some of the other singers, I had felt insecure and had experienced bouts of stage fright in previous performances. Sometimes during these episodes my voice would barely manage to eke out the melody! I’d been left feeling embarrassed and frustrated, and it would make it harder to sing the next time. So imagine my surprise when I found myself telling the concert organizer that I could sing my piece a cappella and lead the other singers present in an impromptu song in order to buy some time!

She gratefully accepted my offer. Now I had to make good on it!

I took a moment to cherish and mentally affirm the presence and goodness of infinite Soul, God. I thought about how I, and everyone else, could never be separated from divine Soul. I felt enveloped in a sense of God’s love for me and everyone, instead of feeling nervous or anxious.

When I opened my mouth to sing, I wasn’t thinking of the mechanics of singing, but simply pouring out my love and gratitude for God, Soul. Gone were the thoughts of fear that had seemed to overshadow and restrict my expression of my true identity as God’s beloved daughter. My voice was strong and pure, and the singing felt effortless. I was so grateful, and deeply moved.

I then invited the other singers present to join me in the famous gospel piece “This Little Light of Mine.” As we were singing the last verse, the power came back on! The other singers were able to get to the venue, and the concert continued uninterrupted.

I was tempted to feel stage fright again only one other time during that trip to Italy. Instead of feeling powerless, though, I mentally expressed gratitude to God for the opportunity to express Him with joy and freedom. That crippling sense of stage fright has never returned. The experience continues to be an important touchstone in my life for understanding more about God as Soul, and my identity as Soul’s spiritual reflection.

Everyone can be free to express their spiritual individuality as Soul’s beloved child in any endeavor, and live a Soul-filled life.

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.
Real news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.
What is the Monitor difference? Tackling the tough headlines – with humanity. Listening to sources – with respect. Seeing the story that others are missing by reporting what so often gets overlooked: the values that connect us. That’s Monitor reporting – news that changes how you see the world.
editor@csmonitor.com
Subscribe
Mark Sappenfield
Editor

Dear Reader,

About a year ago, I happened upon this statement about the Monitor in the Harvard Business Review – under the charming heading of “do things that don’t interest you”:

“Many things that end up” being meaningful, writes social scientist Joseph Grenny, “have come from conference workshops, articles, or online videos that began as a chore and ended with an insight. My work in Kenya, for example, was heavily influenced by a Christian Science Monitor article I had forced myself to read 10 years earlier. Sometimes, we call things ‘boring’ simply because they lie outside the box we are currently in.”

If you were to come up with a punchline to a joke about the Monitor, that would probably be it. We’re seen as being global, fair, insightful, and perhaps a bit too earnest. We’re the bran muffin of journalism.

But you know what? We change lives. And I’m going to argue that we change lives precisely because we force open that too-small box that most human beings think they live in.

The Monitor is a peculiar little publication that’s hard for the world to figure out. We’re run by a church, but we’re not only for church members and we’re not about converting people. We’re known as being fair even as the world becomes as polarized as at any time since the newspaper’s founding in 1908.

We have a mission beyond circulation, we want to bridge divides. We’re about kicking down the door of thought everywhere and saying, “You are bigger and more capable than you realize. And we can prove it.”

If you’re looking for bran muffin journalism, you can subscribe to the Monitor for $15. You’ll get the Monitor Weekly magazine, the Monitor Daily email, and unlimited access to CSMonitor.com.

Subscribe to insightful journalism

QR Code to A Soul-filled life
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/A-Christian-Science-Perspective/2018/1023/A-Soul-filled-life
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe