Article August 13, 1932 Issue

"Cities for refuge"

FRANCES DE WITT JOHN

It is recorded in the thirty-fifth chapter of Numbers that Moses, governed by divine wisdom, appointed a certain number of cities to be designated as "cities for refuge." According to the Bible account, these cities were set apart as sanctuaries to which one might flee for protection from his accusers. We read, "And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger." The protection of these cities offered a reprieve in which to plead one's cause and, if innocent, to establish one's innocency. We further read that the blessings of these sanctuaries were not restricted to the Israelites, for the fifteenth verse definitely states, "These six cities shall be a refuge, both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them." Thus the protection afforded to all alike exemplified the all-inclusive, all-protecting love of God. These sanctuaries symbolize the realm of reality to which one may at all times turn for protection and rest. This protection serves to elevate thought to a greater comprehension of God's unerring justice and tender love.

As a Christian Scientist pondered this provision of long ago she gratefully recalled a visit to one of the two Sanatoriums of The Christian Science Benevolent Association. These institutions are modern refuges which awaken thought to the sanctuary of true selfhood. Their outward beauty well expresses the loveliness and grandeur of Truth; their quietness and peace exemplify the unlabored energy of Mind, Life; the selfless interest of associates and guests images forth the love of Love. The security, restfulness, comradeship, and love of home hover about the institutions. What could furnish a sweeter glimpse of God's fatherhood and motherhood than this all-pervading atmosphere of home! As the days of rest and study in this haven of Truth were reviewed, the Scientist discerned more clearly than ever before God's bountiful provision for all humanity.

In establishing the ancient sanctuaries, Moses must have caught a glimpse of the spiritual sanctuary of true being. In our day, the beloved Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, perceived that "man is God's spiritual offspring" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 336). Beholding from the summit of spiritual vision the bondage of material belief, Mrs. Eddy recognized the need for a safe retreat in which to sing with the Psalmist, "In the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast."

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