Spiritual Understanding

Duncan Sinclair

Spiritual understanding is a term often used in Christian Science. It refers to the understanding or knowledge of Spirit, God, and His spiritual creation. Christ Jesus, out of the plenitude of his understanding, had revealed the Father to an extent never before approached; but the meaning of his message became obscured with the passing of the years; and before many centuries had elapsed, it had become confused and uncertain, dogma and creed, ritual and ceremonial, all alike having tended to hide the simplicity and truthfulness of the Master's teaching. So that when Mrs. Eddy gave Christian Science to the world, the knowledge of God was vague and undefined.

About the middle of the nineteenth century, the teaching of the Christian religion was far from homogeneous. Certain of its votaries were separated as the poles from each other in their beliefs,—seemingly irreconcilably apart; and skepticism was rampant, for the natural sciences, so called, which had drawn to themselves many of the thinkers of the time,—men attracted to their study because they held out to them great possibilities in the acquiring of truth,—disputed the "miracle" or the demonstration of the power of God in the affairs of men; in fact, natural Science at that time, with its eyes riveted hypnotically on its own finite concepts of law, denied almost altogether the possibility of any other conception of God than a pantheistic one.

It was into that divided religious world, that skeptical religious world, Christian Science came, with its clarion call to men, inviting them to listen to the truth, to the absolute truth about God and His real spiritual creation. The discovery of Christian Science was an epoch-making event, a fact which the world is gradually but surely finding out. For Christian Science is revolutionizing thought along every line to-day, in religion, ethics, philosophy, and natural science. Not only are these branches of human knowledge being affected, but the arts also are feeling its tremendous influence, the arts of poetry, the drama, music, painting, and sculpture. It may be that the savants of these schools are not aware of the spiritual influence at work in the world through Christian Science, but the fact is none the less true. And before very long it will be universally and openly acknowledged.

Like all great discoveries, Christian Science is very simple. What, briefly, is it? That God, Spirit, is All-in-all; that He is infinitely good; and that, consequently, matter or evil is unreal. And every other spiritual truth which Christian Science reveals, is based on, or deducible from, that fundamental one and its corollary. Take, for example, the truth about man. Man,—the real man,—Christian Science teaches, is not partially spiritual and partially material, but wholly spiritual, since Spirit is infinite. Furthermore, man, the real spiritual man, is perfect,—wholly good,—since he is the creation of God, infinite good. Thus, spiritual understanding shows man to be the perfect spiritual creation of God. Hence, as Mrs. Eddy says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 530), "In divine Science, man is sustained by God, the divine Principle of being." And not only is man thus sustained by God, but as spiritual understanding also shows (ibid., p. 70), "The divine Mind maintains all identities, from a blade of grass to a star, as distinct and eternal."

It will be readily apparent from the foregoing how revolutionary the teaching of Christian Science is, freeing men, as it is doing, from the paralyzing grasp of material beliefs. To-day, over all the civilized globe, men and women are reaping the fruits of the teaching of Christian Science in healed bodies and regenerated lives. "The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding, and I shall live." These words of the Psalmist, which show a very near approach to Truth, find an echo in the thought of every Christian Scientist.

There is a very practical side to Christian Science: it does not leave its adherents in any doubt as to what their attitude should be towards the great truths it states so clearly. It says to them, You must practice what you preach, as well as ever you can, as much as your spiritual understanding will enable you to do. Always in this endeavor the determining factor should be the extent of one's spiritual understanding. Never can the Christian Scientist allow himself to forget the words of our revered Leader, to be found on page 14 of Science and Health: "Entirely separate from the belief and dream of material living, is the Life divine, revealing spiritual understanding and the consciousness of man's dominion over the whole earth. This understanding casts out error and heals the sick, and with it you can speak 'as one having authority.'"

All things are possible to God: all things are possible to the spiritual understanding of God which is clear enough to enable one to realize His allness and the perfection of His creation. How that understanding is to be obtained is what Christian Science teaches. And those may obtain it who are prepared to sacrifice the false material sense of self for the Mind of Christ.

Duncan Sinclair

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"The name of the city"

April 26, 1924

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