Article November 7, 1925 Issue

From Darkness to Light

GERTRUDE L. WHITMORE

In his epistle to the Romans Paul says, "Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." In this passage Paul makes it plain that in order to prove what God's "good, and acceptable, and perfect, will" is, we must be transformed by the renewing of the mind.

Before attaining an understanding of Christian Science, the average person does not realize that there is any need to have his mind renewed. In the darkness of material thinking, and in bondage to false education and so-called man-made laws, he does not realize how much his thinking has to do with the outward effects which appear in his life. In fact, he does not know that he is in bondage and darkness. He may even pride himself on his educational enlightenment, and, accepting the events of his life, even though discordant, as natural consequences, yield to them accordingly or look upon them as entirely unavoidable.

On page 191 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, we read, "The human thought must free itself from self-imposed materiality and bondage." Now most people suffering from a belief of ill health, sorrow, limitation, or any of the myriad forms of inharmony experienced in the world to-day, cannot see how they themselves are in any way responsible for these discordant conditions; nor would they admit that the majority of their troubles were "self-imposed." Yet thousands of Christian Scientists are now proving this true. How do they prove it? Mrs. Eddy says in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 131), "The darkness in one's self must first be cast out, in order rightly to discern darkness or to reflect light." So the beginning is with one's self. And when, in our extremity, we find ourselves in the place where all else has failed, and we want to find God and reach out to Him for help, we are right in the place where we see that "the darkness in one's self must first be cast out," and where we begin to be transformed by the renewing of the mind. It is not all done in a day or a year, or perhaps in many years; but the ultimate goal is assured, if we are faithful and obedient.

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