"Look up, and behold"

Duncan Sinclair

In her book "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 134) Mrs. Eddy writes, "Like Elisha, look up, and behold: 'They that be with us, are more than they that be with them;'" and she begins the next paragraph with the words, "Error is only fermenting, and its heat hissing at the 'still, small voice' of Truth." Wonderful words, conveying as they do a great sense of God's presence and power! And how similar in this respect they are to those of the sixty-second Psalm, "In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God." The words of Mrs. Eddy and the Psalmist just quoted express intense faith in and reliance upon the protecting and saving power of God; and they help to establish this faith and reliance in all who read them understandingly.

If it were possible for Elisha to display such wonderful faith in God, and for the Psalmist to testify with such assurance to His protecting and saving power, surely it should be equally possible, if not more so, for those with a knowledge of the teachings of Christian Science to trust Him, since these teachings reveal God more fully than He ever has been revealed before.

The Almighty was known to the Hebrews as the deliverer of His people, the rewarder of the righteous, the refuge of the oppressed. Christ Jesus revealed Him as the Father of all, who cared for all His children with ineffable tenderness; and Christian Science, accepting the truth about God revealed by the prophets and by the Master, and stating it in scientific terms, renders it readily available to men for the solving of their every problem.

On page 140 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy says, "The Christian Science God is universal, eternal, divine Love, which changeth not and causeth no evil, disease, nor death." Here is a declaration which strikes heavily at all the mortal beliefs of mankind; for since God, divine Love, does not cause evil, disease, and death, these cannot possibly be real. And since evil is unreal, what is there to fear? In reality there is naught to fear; but to prove this, the truth about God as infinite Love must be understood and realized. Evil may seem to hiss as "the 'still, small voice' of Truth" makes itself heard. We should not dread its hiss, but, rather, "look up, and behold" the mighty power of Truth, which is always with us to protect us from evil's supposititious presence.

The knowledge of God is transforming human thought. No one can know the truth that Love is infinite, that good is infinite, without undergoing a change for the better. And one of the beneficial effect produced by this understanding is the healing of disease. Is not sickness a form of evil belief? This being so, let one suffering from sickness learn that God is Love, and that Love cannot possibly create its opposite, and he will perceive the unreality of evil and be healed of the sick belief proportionately to his realization of the truth. Never should the Christian Scientist entertain in any degree the belief in disease as real. God's creation is infinitely good—perfect; and with this understanding he can deny every form of evil, and so destroy it.

Another effect which the understanding of God brings about is the healing of sin—erroneous, material, unrighteous ways of thinking and acting. For how can one continue to be jealous, envious, malicious, revengeful, wrathful, when one knows that good is unlimited and within everyone's right to enjoy, and that evil is naught but illusion? We may not turn from all evil to good at once; human consciousness seems to emerge gradually out of the darkness of materiality into the light of spirituality. But the change is inevitable; it cannot fail to take place as thought is held steadfastly to the truth and prayerful effort made to demonstrate it. No sin is beyond the power of divine Love to reach, for Love is infinite. The sinner, therefore, no matter how grievous the sin, should never think of himself as beyond redemption. If for a moment he should understandingly "look up, and behold" divine Love's allness and evil's nothingness, the illusion would vanish away.

There is another aspect of the question which is very gratifying. In his efforts to free himself from materiality, from evil beliefs of all kinds, through his understanding of good, not only does the Christian Scientist receive God's blessing upon himself, but the whole world is benefited. Not only does he not add to the world's belief in evil, but he actually helps to reduce so-called evil to impotence. Never should the Christian Scientist allow himself to waver in his faith in and application of the truth. He should continue to "look up, and behold" the glory of God, and through his understanding of Love's allness and omnipotence prove progressively evil's nothingness and impotence.

Duncan Sinclair

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January 16, 1932

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