Article March 16, 1929 Issue

A Lesson from a Song Bird

PETER B. BIGGINS

The divine Mind, infinite in beauty and grandeur, speaks to us clearly in nature's solitudes, assuring us of the ever-presence of changeless harmony. As we go back into society, we may preserve this dawning perception of spiritual reality and maintain the harmony thus discerned, felt, and enjoyed; for, while striving to obey the divine will, we can commune with God under all circumstances, in every place. The prophet Isaiah uses the simple symbolism drawn from nature to illustrate spiritual harmony when he declares, "Ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands."

Christ Jesus drew attention to the deep lessons to be learned from nature, from the flowers of the field and from the birds of the air. The merry singing of the birds reminds us of the ever present harmony of the divine Mind. Rivers, trees, and flowery meadows all teach their lessons in the spiritual verities, symbolizing "the beauty of holiness," and speaking to us of the endless variety of the spiritual capabilities of man as a child of God. In referring to Christ Jesus' work, Mary Baker Eddy, on page 91 of "Retrospection and Introspection," writes: "To the students whom he had chosen, his immortal teaching was the bread of Life. When he was with them, a fishing-boat became a sanctuary, and the solitude was peopled with holy messages from the All-Father. The grove became his class-room, and nature's haunts were the Messiah's university." Anyone who loves the haunts of nature, loves to be in the great out-of-doors, cannot fail to appreciate, at least in some measure, these words written by the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science.

One day, while the writer was on a long train journey over the western prairies, he heard now and again above the din of the train the clear, heartening note of the meadow lark. One might suppose that the noise of the railroad cars would have drowned the note of this ever welcome songster, but no! the bird's song rose distinctly above the clamor of the wheels. This brought to the writer a clear sense of the omnipotence of spiritual harmony, the power of scientific declarations of Truth, even though materiality appears to be so prevalent. As we proceed on our journey through life, although the material senses clamor for recognition and attention, claiming that matter is supreme, all-important, and ever present, the tender tones of infinite Spirit reach our inward ear, assuring us of the omnipotence and omnipresence of the one divine Mind.

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