ENJOY THE SOUL–VIEW

GENELLE AUSTIN–LETT

THIS WEEK'S Christian Science Bible Lesson on "Soul" caused me to ask myself, What does God know about the substance of our lives? Is it a picture of complaint and deficiency, or of Soul–inspired living?

A passage this week from Section II explains: "Entirely separate from the belief and dream of material living, is the Life divine, revealing spiritual understanding and the consciousness of man's dominion over the whole earth. This understanding casts out error and heals the sick, and with it you can speak 'as one having authority'" (Science and Health, p. 14, citation 9). God knows only what is beautiful and true about His creation. And a previous passage emphasizes that "the Divine Being must be reflected by man,—else man is not the image and likeness of the patient, tender, and true, the One 'altogether lovely;' but to understand God is the work of eternity, and demands absolute consecration of thought, energy, and desire" (p. 3, Sect. I, cit. 5). Too often we can get caught up in only looking at the results of God's handiwork, investigating its validity and not understanding Him.

I used to love taking pictures, and for years I'd hike to mountain lakes before sunrise and wait for the hues of morning to tinge the still water as it reflected mountains, trees, and sky. One day a friend asked, "What's wrong with photographing the originals?" I'd been so absorbed in capturing a clear reflection with my camera that I missed seeing the original. Bible citations in Section I remind me to focus on the divine original: "Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually" (I Chron. 16:11, cit. 4); "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God" (Ps. 90:2, cit. 2).