Article March 2, 1912 Issue

LIGHT PERPETUAL

CLAIR D. VALLETTE

The often quoted words, "Believe nothing you hear and only half you see," carry more truth than one at first thought generally believes, if applied to material things,—the things we are taught to believe are real,—the things of this world. We are so accustomed to think of pain, sickness, sorrow, sin, death, as well as all the seemingly material objects, as real, actual, and true, that when we first hear them explained from the view-point of Christian Science as illusive and unreal, we are apt to rebel, or we at least grasp very imperfectly the meaning of the statement.

One evening a student of Christian Science noticed an electric light shining brilliantly in a room a short distance from him and illuminating its surroundings; but as he looked it seemed to become dim and the room was correspondingly darkened. This was repeated several times. It seemed as if the electric current was partially cut off at times and entirely so at others. A few moments' study and observation, however, showed that smoke drifting from a near-by chimney had intervened between the observer and the light. The light had not been dimmed, but an illusion had been produced whereby the observer had been deceived. In this case the observer had but to walk toward the light to discover the deception and to find the truth. Had he believed even half of what he saw, and had turned away, he could not have presently discovered the truth, although the light was shining all the time.

The true light forever shines forth to all men. Any seeming separation from the light, any apparent dimness of it, any lessening of its radiance, is caused by intervening views, wrong beliefs, mere deceptions, the inventions of mortal mind finding lodgment within human consciousness and obscuring the "true light" that cometh from above. Men are self-deceived when they believe that the things which they see with the mortal eye are real, and that the things unseen by mortal sense are unreal because they are seen only in mind. When we look from the things temporal to the things eternal, as we are taught to do in Christian Science, we see that the true light, the light of Truth, forever shines forth.

Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.

Send a comment to the editors
NEXT IN THIS ISSUE
Poem
"IT SUFFICETH US"
March 2, 1912
Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit