Article December 3, 2007 Issue

IN FEAR'S SHADOWS, GOOD RULES

BY SARAH HYATT

When we're spiritually alert, we can experience what an Old Testament prophet promised: "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left" (Isa. 30:21). This is spirituality made practical, and everyone can prove its reassuring effects.

This doesn't mean that we can simply ignore evil and the forms it takes. There's a big difference, though, between suspicion and alertness. Being suspicious involves feeling fear and distrust, while being alert means that we're aware of the need to challenge the evils that attempt to overtake us—whether in the form of anxiety about a new superbug virus, collapsing bridges, raging wildfires, or other elements that are contrary to the harmony God creates. Spiritual alertness lets us hear the divine Mind's wise directing, and can keep us and others safe.