"Underneath are the everlasting arms"

JAMES S. BALEY

What great security all of us have experienced as children when the arms of a parent have protectingly encompassed us or held us tightly to guard us from possible harm! Perhaps it is this precious childhood memory that makes us regard as most comforting and profound the inspired words of Moses in Deuteronomy, "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms."

Despite the arguments of discouragement, adversity, and perplexity that assail and afflict humanity at the moment, is it not a wonderful assurance to the student of Christian Science to know that, no matter what the problem or belief of burden may be, right in the midst of inharmony there is the help—the solution to every difficulty—because "underneath are the everlasting arms," God's omnipresence?

What wisdom the prophet of old evidenced in employing such a grand metaphor to portray the omnipresence of infinite Mind! "Underneath" indicates basis or foundation, and implies the substance or understanding of God that constitutes our real being. Thus we see that the very source or cause of our existence is divine Principle, which is always available to meet our human problems. "Everlasting" describes the majestic quality of the Christ, Truth, which lives forever. Therefore we rejoice in knowing that Life is eternal, and that our real harmony and existence never cease. The use of the word "arms" portrays the strength and encircling care of our Father-Mother, God—the infinite Love that comprehends the constant welfare of His children. What comfort, what assurance, what safety one realizes in the contemplation of this divine fact—the ever-availability of good!

Perhaps to some harassed individuals there seems no way out humanly—perhaps the waves of discouragement and despair overwhelm the disheartened seeker for Truth. Yet in reality "underneath are the everlasting arms," and at the very moment the condition seems the most serious, Christian Science indicates the way of salvation—to know the omnipotence and ever-presence of harmonious being and the absolute nothingness of the depressing errors that seem to argue.

Our beloved Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, on a number of occasions makes use of the metaphorical references to the arms of Deity. On page 322 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" she writes: "The sharp experiences of belief in the supposititious life of matter, as well as our disappointments and ceaseless woes, turn us like tired children to the arms of divine Love. Then we begin to learn Life in divine Science." Realizing our complete protection from all error through an understanding of Life in Christian Science, we begin to prove our eternality and our own immunity from fear, disease, and disaster.

That the arms of divine Love do provide protection and safety was demonstrated in the experience of a student who was a passenger on a ship cruising in Georgian Bay. About sundown the vessel struck a submerged rock, causing a terrific shock and bringing all on board panic-stricken to the deck. Instantly came to the Christian Scientist, as if a voice were speaking, the words quoted above: "Underneath are the everlasting arms." With this wonderful promise filling his consciousness the student realized to the best of his ability the presence of omnipotent Mind and complete protection from harm. He knew that there could be no accident in the realm of Spirit—the realm of perfect Being—nor could there be any manifestation contrary to good. He denied the existence of fear or mass terror and confidently held to the "nowness" of infinite harmony and the infinity of Soul.

The boat swerved, trembled momentarily, and continued on her course. Immediately came the fear-allaying announcement from the crew of the ship, heralded joyously among the frightened passengers, that although the shock seemed severe, a remarkable thing had happened—the vessel was not harmed.

This instance of Love's protection was a glorious experience because it proved the inspired passages of the Bible to be not mere words or promises, but actually the "power of the Word," demonstrable in daily experience through an understanding of Christian Science. No matter what the problem, divine help is always at hand. Mrs. Eddy has made this help practicable through her discovery of the Christ, Truth, as ever available, not confined to the time of the Way-shower and his disciples in olden days but "an immanent, eternal Science" (ibid., p. 150).

How grateful we are that, as we read on page xi of the Preface to our textbook, "These mighty works are not supernatural, but supremely natural. They are the sign of Immanuel, or 'God with us,'—a divine influence ever present in human consciousness and repeating itself, coming now as was promised aforetime,

"To preach deliverance to the captives [of sense],
And recovering of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty them that are bruised."

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