Article August 31, 1912 Issue

LIGHT

CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN.

If we arrange to have a ray of sunlight pass through a prism, and then place a screen so as to intercept the ray, we will notice among other phenomena that the prism has divided the white sunlight into a spectrum of beautiful colors, the colors of the rainbow. The explanation is simple so far as it goes. Sunlight is made up of light of different colors, and these different elements have the peculiarity of being bent or refracted in different degrees, thus separating after leaving the prism and forming the band of colors on the screen. However often we repeat the experiment, in the main the result is the same. By changing the direction of the ray, the position and angle of the prism, etc., an infinite variety may be obtained, but there are no haphazard results; the laws of light are unchangeable, and they symbolize the immutable laws of God, good. Through Christian Science, "Truth's prism and praise" (Science and Health, p. 558), the pure white light of Spirit is revealed in all its beauty and color as expressed in man and the universe.

The beautiful colors are always present in the sunlight, but it requires the prism to bring them out; in like manner does man express the glory of God only through the understanding of divine Truth. In the proportion that one gains this understanding, is it seen that man's real existence is a continuous manifestation of God's qualities, a showing forth of the beauty and harmony of Truth, before which the socalled powers of darkness are dispelled. Through this enlightening process of Christian Science we are gradually being liberated from the various forms of selfishness, greed, envy, hate, and fear, as well as from discords of the body.

In speaking of the city of our God, Mrs. Eddy says: "Love is the light of it" (Science and Health, p. 577). Now suppose we pass a ray of darkness through some prism which will bring out the characteristics of darkness. Absurd! you say? Quite true, and for several reasons. In the first place, darkness has no substance and has no laws governing it; if it had, these laws could be studied, and there would be a science of darkness. In the nature of the case, darkness cannot be studied, nor, strictly speaking, can it be cognized; even if it could have laws, they could never be known. Such laws, could they exist, would always conflict with the laws of light. An instance of this would occur if a door between a light and a dark room were opened. Either the light would stream into the dark room and make it light, or the darkness would stream into the light room and make it dark. Is there any question as to what would occur?

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