Spiritual Sense

MAUDE E. BEE

The five physical senses testify to physical man and a material universe. But Christian Science teaches that the real man, the man of God's creation, is not material; that since he is the image of God, Spirit, he is Spiritual. Of spiritual man and the spiritual universe, the material senses take no cognizance. It is only through the cultivation of spiritual sense that an understanding of man, as created in the image and likeness of God, is gained.

On page 209 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy defines "spiritual sense" as a "conscious, constant capacity to understand God." It belongs to the Mind "which was also in Christ Jesus." It is that which gives us a sense of God's reality and nearness, that which enables us to take hold upon God, who is ever present. Spiritual sense changes belief to understanding, and reveals the faith to which all things are possible. It gives us eyes to see the wonders of God's creation, and ears to hear the "still small voice" of Truth. It is that which gives us the realization of God's allness and goodness.

Spiritual sense is intuitive, as the longings, the aspirations, the constant reaching out for good testify. Since man as the creation of Spirit is spiritual, the capacity to understand God is innate. But we must become conscious of this spiritual capacity and learn to cherish it. One might starve with an abundantly set table in the same room with him, if he were not conscious of its being there and able to help himself.

Christian Science shows us how to become conscious of spiritual sense. It shows us how to cultivate and make constant use of this key which can unlock for us the understanding of God, man, and the universe. The mist of human sense must be dispelled; the sense of evil must be got rid of by filling consciousness with the sense of good. We must be willing to relinquish personal sense, to deny material sense testimony, to look away from matter. As one of our hymns puts it,

"The mortal sense we must destroy,
If we would bring to light
The wonders of eternal Mind,
Where sense is lost in sight."

Our Leader, referring to the word "disciple," points out (Science and Health, p. 271) that "the word indicates that the power of healing was not a supernatural gift to those learners [Jesus' disciples], but the result of their cultivated spiritual understanding." Jesus frequently withdrew from those about him, going apart to pray. So we, too, must take time for meditation, communion, prayer, and study. We learn to know people as we live with them and talk with them. Spiritual sense is gained in the same way: like any other ability or capacity, it grows with recognition and use. The more we persevere, the more we persist in our reversal of error and insistence that all things are spiritual, the sooner will this conscious capacity become constant, abiding with us. Instead of continuing to sing,

"God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform,"

we shall send forth a psalm of praise for our growth in the spiritual sense of things, which "solveth all the mystery."

Through spiritual sense we are able to gain the true interpretation of the Bible, finding it practical and applicable to our present-day needs. Spiritual sense reveals spiritual law, God's law, which makes null and void everything unlike itself. It changes our attitude toward life, making "all things new," helping us to prove that "now are we the sons of God;" for it shows us how to gain dominion, harmony, freedom, in the very place where we are. It awakens us to our divinely-bestowed capacity for good, our unlimited opportunities, and makes us receptive to God's directing; and thus we gain an ever increasing unfoldment of harmony.

Christian Scientists are given a concise summary of what spiritual sense is and does, on page 298 of the Christian Science textbook, where Mrs. Eddy says, "Spiritual sense, contradicting the material senses, involves intuition, hope, faith, understanding, fruition, reality." We all, as Christian Scientists, believe that we belong to God. We all believe that God is good, and that we are His children; and hope fills us with expectation of good. We believe in God's goodness and allness enough to work for a fuller understanding of them, which cannot fail to manifest itself in more harmonious outward conditions. This understanding is gained as we perceive the unreality of matter and the fact that only the spiritual is real and eternal. Fruition, demonstration, proof, follow as we insist on and hold to the spiritual sense of things, and awake to the facts of true being and the realization that there is no true selfhood apart from God.

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