Article May 9, 1931 Issue

"The smile of the Great Spirit"

ROSEMARY CALKIN

On page 477 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mary Baker Eddy writes: "Man is the expression of Soul. The Indians caught some glimpses of the underlying reality, when they called a certain beautiful lake 'the smile of the Great Spirit.' " We too can catch the meaning of spiritual reflection if we stand by a lake and study the surroundings and reflections. At first the most striking thing may seem to be the beauty of the environment and of the lake itself. Then, gradually, a wider sense of the meaning and grandeur of the scene dawns upon us. Instead of seeing the water as playing so big a part, we note the reflections therein of the trees, reeds, and bushes, with their myriad leaves and wealth of color. The blue of the sky, the clouds, and now and again a bird in flight are perfectly reflected. The longer we ponder the reflections the more we see the originals represented in them, until we find we have become less conscious of the water as such, and regard it more as a mirror in which the trees and other things are reflected. What may we learn from this? It illustrates the revelation, through divine Science, of man as God's reflection or idea, and his inseparability from God. When we study the original and its reflection, we see that the latter reproduces exactly the movement of the original, thereby proving their at-one-ment with each other.

While we are still watching, perhaps something stirs the water and disturbs the reflection, making trees and bushes appear to merge, form and color to become blurred, the tree to look disjointed, a hazy blur of twigs and branches. But, looking up, we see the originals of all these to be unmoved and undisturbed, retaining in every way their harmony. On discovering this we realize that it was not the original which changed or wavered, but the movement of the water which caused the disturbed reflection. Thus we understand that, however much the water may be disturbed, the original remains unchanged.

These glimpses of "the underlying reality" of which Mrs. Eddy speaks, are illustrative glimpses of man's true being as the reflection of God, showing his true relationship to God. Does not the disturbed surface of the water typify the subtlety of material sense testimony, which would convince us that mortal sense evidence is real and has power to create discord and change God's reflection? But when, through the lesson of the reflection in the lake, we see spiritual reality, with gratitude we realize what an illusion is so-called mortal mind, and are able to say with honest conviction, I know you are unreal. And, undisturbed by error's clamorings, with what joy we can go forward, because we have found our true relationship and sonship with our Father-Mother God.

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