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All creatures moving in harmony
I love dogs. I love their unique personalities, their spirit and their playfulness, their sensitivity and their loyalty. But I suddenly found myself on the receiving end of one of their other traits, their need to protect their territory, and I began to find my lifelong love turning into fear.
I was on a 400-mile solo bicycle trip, and much of my route was on rural back roads that took me past small farms and country homes. After being chased by a number of dogs on the first day of my trip, I found myself approaching each new home along the route with trepidation, listening carefully for barking or even the jingling collar tags of a dog in hot pursuit of a trespassing bicyclist.
I had planned this trip for many months and intended to be on the road for nine days. I did not want my only memories of the ride to be escapes from angry dogs. At the end of that first day in my trip, I called a friend who is a Christian Scientist and explained my concerns. She reminded me of my God-given dominion, which we must claim for ourselves as part of God’s creation, and which I could express in all aspects of my riding experience. We also discussed this statement by Mary Baker Eddy in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: “All of God’s creatures, moving in the harmony of Science, are harmless, useful, indestructible” (p. 514).
How amazing that Mrs. Eddy spoke of God’s creatures (which included me) moving in the harmony of Science. Even if the dogs and I are both moving, I could know that all of God’s creatures, His spiritual ideas, are moving in a way that is harmonious, not threatening or dangerous.
My friend then called my attention to the preceding line of this passage: “Understanding the control which Love held over all, Daniel felt safe in the lions’ den, and Paul proved the viper to be harmless” (p. 514). She and I talked about how the dogs and I were all under Love’s control. What became clear to me was that Daniel and the lions were all God’s ideas, governed by His law of harmony. God wasn’t separated from them, waiting to find out how Daniel was after the night was over. Nor did God cause the lions to disappear from the den. The lions were still there, but they did not have the power to harm Daniel. Divine Love was in complete control.
On the next page, in the chapter on Genesis, Science and Health expands upon the idea of God’s creatures and their mutual safety: “The serpent of God’s creating is neither subtle nor poisonous, but is a wise idea, charming in its adroitness, for Love’s ideas are subject to the Mind which forms them,—the power which changeth the serpent into a staff” (p. 515).
Using this passage, I could now see that the dog of God’s creating, the spiritual identity of those animals, could neither be territorial nor aggressive, but each one is an intelligent, wise, harmless idea—“for Love’s ideas are subject to the Mind which forms them ….” And here was the explanation for why divine Love was and is in control, why the lions did not have the power to harm Daniel, nor dogs to harm me—because Love’s ideas are subject to Mind’s creative mandate, which is to love. They are not subject to an animalistic instinct or behavior, so I couldn’t be subject to this animal behavior either.
Love’s ideas are not subject to an animalistic instinct or behavior.
And now, with this idea clearly in thought, my challenge with the dogs had been changed into a staff, because it had brought a new-found spiritual understanding, on which I could depend to support and protect me throughout the remainder of my trip. I did see dogs on the rest of the trip, and there were a few more spirited chases, but they had ceased to be frightening. Toward the end of the trip, I remember in particular passing one small farm with a large dog lying out in the sun in front of his garage, close to the road. As I rode by, he lifted his head and gave me a “You are way too boring to chase” look, and resumed his regal pose.
I am reminded of Daniel’s morning message to King Darius: “Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt” (Daniel 6:21, 22).