Article August 7, 1920 Issue

A Glimpse of Truth

LEWIS C. STRANG

AGAIN and again, when battling with the claims of finite sense—the suggestions of physical or mental inharmony and lack—the student of Christian Science is tempted to cry out for more of the truth to help him in his time of need. This cry is to be expected when finite sense seems dominant, for finite sense cannot know the infinite and must multiply the burdens of materiality in a vain effort to comprehend that which is for it incomprehensible. Yet it is not more of the truth—more of the ever present—that the demonstrator of Christian Science really needs, even though he lend his lips to the despairing call of finite sense. What is actually needed is a quality not a quantity—just a glimpse of the truth—and healing inevitably follows.

When one strikes a note on the piano, the note struck is found to have corresponding tones which sound with it, if the ear is well enough trained to hear them. Those tones of a higher pitch are called overtones and those of a lower undertones. With the low notes on the piano it is quite easy to hear the overtones and the undertones; as one goes higher in pitch, the overtones apparently cannot be heard, though the undertones will persist. When one gets very high in pitch, both the overtones and the undertones seem lost. Yet the overtones and undertones are there just the same. Every tone in the whole gamut of tone has its overtones and its undertones. They are always sounded, though they may not always be heard by the physical ear. Furthermore, the overtone of the note sounded also has its overtones and undertones, and the undertone has its overand undertones, and so on ad infinitum. Consequently, though only a single note on the piano may be struck, actually when that one note is sounded the whole infinite range of tone is brought into expression. This is really so; the only reason we do not recognize that it is so is because our limited sense of hearing does not enable us to hear the tones that actually are sounded.

When we catch a glimpse of Truth, we sound a single note in the great gamut of being. That glimpse of Truth has its overtones and its undertones, which in turn have their overtones and undertones, and so on, through the whole infinitude of Truth. Therefore our single glimpse of Truth is in reality the perception, the expression of all Truth that ever was, that is now, and that ever can be. The only reason that we call this sense of Truth "a glimpse of Truth," is because we are limited in our perception, but Truth is not limited by our perception of it,—its nature of omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, infinitude, remains unchanged. Therefore our glimpse of Truth is really Truth perceived, and as the perception enlarges, the glimpse of Truth must become the fullness of Truth made manifest in our experience. It is because this fact is so thoroughly demonstrated in human affairs that Mrs. Eddy's statement (Science and Health, p. 49) is profoundly true: "A grain of Christian Science does wonders for mortals, so omnipotent is Truth, but more of Christian Science must be gained in order to continue in well doing."

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