Article May 31, 1930 Issue

"O gentle presence, peace and joy and power"

JESSIE E. DODGE

How great a field of thought is unfolded in the opening line of our Leader's poem "The Mother's Evening Prayer" (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 389; Poems, p. 4), "O gentle presence, peace and joy and power"! How farreaching the results if we prayerfully consider the deep meaning underlying these words!

The "gentle presence" of God, Love, Truth! Is not this the presence of Him who gave to Moses the assurance, "My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest," and to whom Moses prayed, "If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence"? Moses realized that without God's presence he and his followers would be helpless and have no desire to try to go farther. So it is with us to-day. We must consciously abide in the presence of divine Love if we would find rest and peace from the worries of the world. We must constantly watch that we do not allow error to betray us into forgetting that God is ever with us; for without Him we certainly cannot go "up hence." If we realize the presence of divine Love as ever with us, what cause can there be for worry, uneasiness, doubt, or fear? On the contrary, these gentle visitors. "peace and joy and power," will keep our thoughts and hearts filled with good.

On page 543 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mary Baker Eddy tells us that "in divine Science, the material man is shut out from the presence of God." If we allow unkindness, erroneous criticism, selfishness, envy, or resentment to take possession of our thoughts, we find ourselves shut out from the presence of Love; and this, by our own consent to false thinking. God, divine Love, does not shut us away from Himself, but by incorrect thinking we may seemingly close the door between Him and ourselves.

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