Editorial August 25, 1923 Issue

Reality

Duncan Sinclair

The teaching of Christian Science with regard to reality is simple; and yet, it is profound. It is likewise revolutionary in its nature, upsetting the most cherished theories of the so-called human mind. Indeed, every erroneous belief entertained by mortals will have to give way before the facts of reality as taught by Christian Science, which bases all its reasoning on the declaration of truth to be found in Isaiah: "I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God." Or, as Mrs. Eddy states in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 275): "To grasp the reality and order of being in its Science, you must begin by reckoning God as the divine Principle of all that really is."

Christian Science, then, assumes the spiritual fact that God is the divine Principle of all reality. On beginning the study of divine Science one must endeavor to grasp this truth, and proceed from it, as foundational, in order to gain an understanding of the divine nature. As this understanding is obtained he will be able readily to distinguish between the real and the unreal in his thinking, rejecting the latter and holding fast to the former. To some, the teachings of Christian Science may appear almost incomprehensible at first; for, think how men have been taught to believe that matter and material phenomena, evil and its train of suffering, are among the most real things in existence. Every member of the human race has endured the afflictions of evil, either as sickness or sin, and knows how real they appear to be; and every one knows how real seems the so-called material world, with its changing aspects, its sunshine and its storm, its seasons varying from the verdant freshness of spring to the inertness of winter. Are we to take all these and, along with summer's richness of color and variety of form and autumn's wealth of fruition, label them unreal? Every material object, every material phenomenon, is but an externalized belief of so-called mortal mind. When, however, these are beautiful to behold, when they typify spiritual reality, we do not spurn them or deride them; rather, do we greatly rejoice in the promise they prophetically show forth of the perfection of spiritual reality itself. Yet, reality is ever spiritual; never material.

There are certain tests which may be readily applied when one is in doubt as to reality. One may ask for example, Is the thought which is presented good, harmonious, enduring? Take the belief of disease, and apply this simple test. Is disease good? Who will say that it is? Does not every one desire to be rid of it? Is disease harmonious? It is the very reverse: it is an inharmonious condition. Is it enduring? Nobody believes it to be so; every sick person wishes to be well, and strives to be well. And, moreover, disease is being constantly healed. Our Leader writes in Science and Health (p. 472): "All reality is in God and His creation, harmonious and eternal. That which He creates is good, and He makes all that is made." Then she goes on to state the truth about unreality, "Therefore the only reality of sin, sickness, or death is the awful fact that unrealities seem real to human, erring belief, until God strips off their disguise. They are not true, because they are not of God."

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