Editorial November 26, 1932 Issue

Realizing the Truth

Duncan Sinclair

Although the Christian Scientist may be in no doubt as to the truth of God's allness and of the unreality of matter and evil, sometimes he is aware that he is not realizing the truth as clearly as he should. Perhaps he is entertaining a belief of sickness, or, it may be, of sin. He knows that if he realized vividly enough the allness of God, good, and the nothingness of matter or evil, the sickness or sin would be destroyed. His effort, therefore, is to attain to such a clear apprehension of reality that the illusion of material sense which is afflicting him will be swept away. Mrs. Eddy says on page 7 of "Unity of Good," "An incontestable point in divine Science is, that because God is All, a realization of this fact dispels even the sense or consciousness of sin, and brings us nearer to God, bringing out the highest phenomena of the All-Mind."

The question then is—and it is often asked of himself by the Christian Scientist—How is one to get the vivid realization of the truth which heals? It is obvious that, first of all, he must know the truth, be convinced of it, have faith in it. The next step is that he shall affirm the truth to his own consciousness, and continue to affirm it, until he realizes it clearly. Then with the realization will come the destruction of the error, and the healing. Many are far too remiss in their affirming of the truth; and because of this they often fail to get the healing they desire as speedily as they would like. It is the experience of not a few Christian Scientists who have made successful demonstrations over conditions which were reckoned serious, that they had to devote considerable periods of time to affirmation of the truths of being before they obtained the realization which brought relief. In this persistence they followed the rule laid down by Mrs. Eddy in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 412): "Mentally insist that harmony is the fact, and that sickness is a temporal dream. Realize the presence of health and the fact of harmonious being, until the body corresponds with the normal conditions of health and harmony."

The realization of spiritual truth is hindered by erroneous thinking. In belief, material sense is continually opposing the truth. This false sense, ignorant of reality or real being, seems to be acting always in opposition to spiritual thinking. The Christian Scientist, being aware of this, sets himself steadfastly to affirm the truth and to deny the claims of error. It may be that sin is claiming to cloud one's spiritual sense, thus preventing the clear realization. If so, the sin must be overcome. It must be uncovered by the understanding of Truth and Love, and its nothingness seen. Then will come the healing.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Editorial

Standing Firm for the Right