Article June 9, 1923 Issue

The Stars in the Firmament

AMY FARISS

Our Leader says in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 340), "Every luminary in the constellation of human greatness, like the stars, comes out in the darkness to shine with the reflected light of God." A more beautiful symbol of spiritual enlightenment could scarcely be found than the shining of the stars. In the distant sky on a still and moonless night they appear as diamonds in their dark setting, each one a bright and separate spark piercing the gloom. Many of us may have pictured in our thought how the star of Bethlehem must have shone in matchless splendor to the shepherds of old to lead them, as it did, to seek the newborn Saviour.

The business of a star is to shine. So far as the unaided human vision is concerned, we should have no evidence of the existence of either planet or star except for the light it emits. To a certain extent, our own lives show forth our existence by the light we reflect or the shadow which our presence casts. We may converse with a hundred people during the day; but it is not their so-called physical selves, their outward appearance, which usually remains in our thought. It is their light,—their brightness, alertness, joyousness,—or else, as the case may be, their gloom, moroseness, depresion. Jesus bade us, "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

In Revelation, "he that overcometh" is promised "the morning star." What is this star except Christian Science? It is the star God has given us through our Leader's faithful inspiration. Like the "lone, brave star" of which she speaks in "Christ and Christmas" (p. 7), it keeps guard "o'er the grim night of chaos" into which are plunged many nations and peoples. To-day the world would have no hope of extricating itself from its seething sea of sorrow except for the fact that Christian Science has risen like the star of Bethlehem to lead us to the Christ, the Saviour of the world. We, in turn, must keep our light burning; we must shine in our setting as brightly, and as individually brilliant, as the stars in the heavens shine. No allurement of mortal experience must make us lose sight of our business of shining, even though around us the swirl of discord and discontent would seek to sweep us into its dark course, if

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

The Stars in the Firmament

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access