Editorial September 21, 1918 Issue

More Light

William D. McCrackan

Humanity cries for more light; yet in reality the light of Truth is here and the ultimate is always at hand. The kingdom of God spoken of by John the Baptist, Jesus, and Paul is always present, though not always humanly perceived. Its invariable characteristic is light. The New Jerusalem knows no darkness. As we read in the Apocalypse: "And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light." The experience of spiritual progress may be described as that of emerging into the light, leaving the darkness of the world behind, the blackness of sin, the density of mesmerism. A spiritual joyousness, spontaneous and invigorating, accompanies this advance. In the full light of the kingdom of heaven on earth there is no knowledge of evil; for evil is error, hence unreal. There the sting of the serpent has been extracted; former enemies are friends, what were supposed to be trying experiences are recognized as having been privileges; the all-embracing atmosphere of spiritual light is felt to include the totality of man and universe; the mellowness of God's fiat is apparent. In the Glossary of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" the word sun is defined by Mrs. Eddy as "the symbol of Soul governing man,—of Truth, Life, and Love."

In defining the name Euphrates in this same Glossary Mrs. Eddy writes in part: "The atmosphere of human belief before it accepts sin, sickness, or death; a state of mortal thought, the only error of which is limitation; finity; the opposite of infinity." This state of consciousness she has also described in a highly significant passage on page 49 of "Unity of Good": "The more I understand true humanhood, the more I see it to be sinless,—as ignorant of sin as is the perfect Maker."

The child thought which Jesus described as essential to those who enter the kingdom of God is that uncontaminated state of consciousness which does not accept the supposititious powers and threats of material sense. Human children may be early weighted in their experience by evil prenatal dispositions or by a pernicious mental atmosphere. To the extent that they are also made to carry the baggage of material religions, medicine, or science they are handicapped in their spiritual progress, but Christian Science parents can do much to give their children a fair start. We read on page 237 of Science and Health, "Children should be taught the Truth-cure, Christian Science, among their first lessons, and kept from discussing or entertaining theories or thoughts about sickness. To prevent the experience of error and its sufferings, keep out of the minds of your children either sinful or diseased thoughts. The latter should be excluded on the same principle as the former. This makes Christian Science early available." Much valuable advice is given by Mrs. Eddy in her writings as to the proper education of children, and this advice is applicable to adults as well.

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