Editorial July 2, 1910 Issue

UNDERSTANDING AND BELIEF

Annie M. Knott

It is often remarked that Christian Science gives a new meaning to words, and this is undoubtedly true. In the first place, students of Christian Science soon discover that they, in common with many others, have held a very inadequate sense of the actual significance of many words in daily use, and especially of words which are frequently employed in the Bible. They begin to see that a tremendous depth of meaning attaches to such words as faith, belief, and understanding, and that those who used them with this deeper sense were able to accomplish wonders which the unenlightened regarded as miracles. But the Bible is a continuous record of wonders, from the divine fiat, "Let there be light," to the Apocalyptic statement of sinless, painless, deathless being; and he who begins to walk with Christ today, in the light of Truth, may, like the disciples of old, have his understanding "opened," and like them "be endued with power from on high."

Almost the first step taken in Christian Science is the giving up of some belief in disease, and the acceptance, on faith, of the truth that disease is no part of man's being. The result which follows is sometimes very startling, as when some ailment which had resisted both medicine and surgery vanishes as darkness at the coming of light. What is even more important, a large amount of fear also vanishes,—fear of sickness, of poverty, of death,—and faith in good begins to take its place. This is well, so far as it goes, but our revered Leader says that "until belief becomes faith, and faith becomes spiritual understanding, human thought has little relation to the actual or divine" (Science and Health, p. 297).

In the Bible we read that "understanding is a well-spring of life unto him that hath it,"—a proposition to which the student of Christian Science would yield a ready assent, as he has daily opportunity to prove its correctness. As he reads the Scriptures, he learns how Joseph, after being an unknown captive in Egypt for many years, rose from height to height of greatness, becoming prime minister of that land during its most prosperous period; and this because he understood enough of God and His law to interpret aright the dream of mortal mind. His experience was paralleled by that of Daniel in Babylon, who not only interpreted Nebuchadnezzar's dream, but read the handwriting on the wall, and later was delivered from the den of lions; and this because he sought with fervent prayer and fasting to understand the truth. We read that in response to this the angel Gabriel came to him and said, "O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding .... for thou art greatly beloved." Mrs. Eddy tells us that angels are "God's thoughts passing to man; spiritual intutions, pure and perfect" (ibid., p. 581); and if we diligently seek divine guidance, it will not be denied us, and we shall have "quick understanding in the fear of the Lord," to quote Isaiah's words.

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