Editorial August 9, 1913 Issue

SYMBOLS

Annie M. Knott

In Science and Health we read that "spiritual teaching must always be by symbols" (p. 575), and in addition to this statement there are many others in our text-book which explain very fully what symbolic teaching means. Symbol is defined in the dictionaries as "a visible sign or representation of an idea; anything which suggests an idea or quality, etc." From this it will be seen that symbols are meaningless apart from Mind, and while it is generally believed that they must appeal to the senses, that they are material, a truer sense reveals the fact that they are the language by which divine Mind communicates with its own ideas. This is beautifully expressed by the psalmist, who says: "The heavens declare the glory of God; ... Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard." There can be no question that if we read aright the divine message, we shall be lifted far above the material sense and find that spiritual law is ever operative, "making wise the simple."

Two young students of Christian Science were once talking about jewels, and the one said that she only cared for them as representing the love of friends who had given them. The other said they meant much more than this to her, as symbols of divine ideas. Thought then drifted naturally to St. John's symbolic description of the holy city, the foundations of its wall "garnished with all manner of precious stones," the splendor of the city being expressed in these telling words, "having the glory of God," and the added statement, "There shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, ... or maketh a lie." This reveals the fact that when the symbol is seen in its relation to the spiritual idea, separate from sin and sinners, we have that which rebukes lust and pride, all materiality, in the pure language of Spirit.

It needs no prolonged argument to show the utter falsity of material sense in its attempted use of nature's beautiful symbols. Mrs. Eddy speaks of a rose as "the smile of God" (Science and Health, p. 175), yet the impure take these fair flowers for sensuous adornment, and it is well known that the costliest jewels have been sought and worn by some of the most degraded and wicked mortals, their possession gained through crimes which have darkened history; and all this because the sons and daughters of men are blind to spiritual realities and contend for matter and its delusions with their very lives, quite forgetful of the rebuke given by Christ Jesus to the Pharisees, when he said, "If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth."

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