Article September 13, 1913 Issue

Light Within

BERTHA STEVENS

The suburban cars find their way through the dark country roads because of their search-light, which illumines the surrounding objects, and especially the car's own pathway, which is made clear and bright before it. If the car should become disconnected from the source of its light, there would be darkness within, and consequently darkness without; but while it remains connected with this source, all the darkness of chaos itself cannot darken the car's path.

What an object-lesson is this to us who are Christian Scientists! We know full well that when our consciousness is filled with the light of Truth, all the darkness of erring human belief is powerless to cast the least shadow over our Love-protected path; but when our thoughts cease to radiate the light of Truth, then the beliefs of fear, sickness, and sin beset us upon every side. Truly, it is the darkness within, and not the darkness from without, which hinders us from dwelling in eternal light, the kingdom of heaven. This thought is expressed by our Leader when she says, "Keep your minds so filled with Truth and Love, that sin, disease, and death cannot enter them" (Pamphlet, What Our Leader Says).

This illustration further shows how good cannot be conscious of evil. Manifestly, the light cannot be conscious of the dark, for when the light reaches its hiding-place, the darkness is not there,—it never was, to the light. Moreover, all things are made clear by the light. When our brother is touched by the thought of Truth, a ray of Love, he will be illumined, be seen as he really is,—God's own perfect child. Bathed in the brightness of Love's light, each is given opportunity to see himself, and the true selfhood of others, as entirely apart from the grotesque forms which they have assumed in the darkness. Mrs. Eddy writes: "Jesus beheld in Science the perfect man, who appeared to him where sinning mortal man appears to mortal man appears to mortals. In this perfect man the Saviour saw God's own likeness, and this correct view of man healed the sick" (Science and Health, p. 476).

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