Article February 20, 1937 Issue

Wilderness Experience

JEKAB GREENBLAT

Mrs. Eddy defines "baptism" on page 581 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" as "purification by Spirit; submergence in Spirit." In St. Matthew's Gospel we read that after his baptism Jesus was "led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil."

What is called the wilderness experience has been often interpreted as undesirable, one to be avoided. But if our Way-shower was not exempt from this testing or proving experience, should we complain or falter when we too are called to follow in his footsteps in proving our understanding of the ever-present, ever-available divine power to meet all human needs? Rather, should we not rejoice over these opportunities to glorify God, as did our Master, by meeting and overcoming sin in every form, when it knocks for admittance at the door of our consciousness?

Willingness to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord, while very commendable, is not sufficient to bring us into heaven, harmony. We must prove, by loving, that we are indeed present with divine Love. By reflecting Love we bear witness to the unfolding of the spiritual understanding of God and of man in His image and likeness. Thus the material sense of things is replaced with the truth of spiritual existence, and we too, like our Master, learn how to emerge from the experience victorious. Thus, viewed in the light of Christian Science, the wilderness experience is one we should not seek to avoid.

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