Skip to content

An Example of Spirituality vs. Recession

guest blogger: Chris Harbur (actor, NY city)

…how a working actor applies spirituality to find immediate employment


I moved to New York 5 months ago after finishing a Children’s Musical Theater national tour which took me to a different town every week so I had no overhead. For the first time in my life I was living on my own, paying rent, school loans and buying groceries (which is actually kinda fun! ha ha! Well not the rent part but cooking and what not).

I soon realized that as an actor in NY, I was going to have to make God an integral part of my day and that meant starting each day with consistent spiritual prayer-practices, and knowing with all my heart that my Shepherd is supplying me with both fulfilling work opportunities and the spiritual ideas and capacities that enable me to earn money.

One particular day a few weeks ago I was getting really anxious because I had about 5 different payments to make and I literally for the first time in my life was running out of money. I reached out to God that very moment and demanded that I was a talented, needed child of God and someone in New York right this moment would love to employ me.

I kid you not, 10 minutes later I received a phone call from my boss saying that another class has opened up (I teach sports to children a few hours a week) and he needed me to head the class and would pay me extra since I would be the only coach there. Moments later, I got an email from the director of my last show, saying that there is an awards show in 3 days and could I work backstage! It was like God was waiting for me to reach out so She could be like, “Duh Chris, I have a million things for you today!”

Wow, I am so grateful for God, and though I have not completely made my financial demonstration quite yet, I just wanted to express gratitude for the wonderful things God has done for me these last few months. Here is a passage I have been working with since I moved to NY. It’s from Mary Baker Eddy’s book Unity of Good:

God is our helper. He pities us. He has mercy upon us and governs every event of our careers.
(p. 3:27)

Chris Harbur


3 thoughts on “An Example of Spirituality vs. Recession”

  1. I am a new reader of your family blog…I was a performer at SMU Southern Methodist Univ.
    Our teacher then was Jack Clay also a CS. A later SMU guy that went to NYC is Channing Walker. You see his writing all the time I am sure. I asked him how he went from his Masters degree in acting to being a CS practitioner. He said, well I started praying for my friends before their auditions and they would get the part. Then it was taking up too much time so he raised his price and they kept coming…so he became a practitioner! Now we know what a great writer he is too! I love reading about you. Check out my son http://www.herSkeleton.Com

    Lynne Pope

  2. Really wonderfull and helpfull. I live in Boston and my first visit to Mother church was last Sunday March 21 at 5PM. I really like even though I still have many questions, I left thinking that me and my husband already have a commitment to go every Sunday. Thanks for sharing part of your life experience with us.

    Juliana and Mauricio Flores

Comments are closed.