Article July 24, 1937 Issue

"Home, heaven"

MARJORIE N. BUFFUM

Our beloved Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, in an interesting manner, links these two words, "home" and "heaven," in her definition of "Jerusalem," on page 589 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." The material belief, or appearance of things, is mentioned first in this definition, as follows: "Mortal belief and knowledge obtained from the five corporeal senses; the pride of power and the power of pride; sensuality; envy; oppression; tyranny." Here is a formidable array of objectionable conditions which one might hesitate to challenge. But Mrs. Eddy, with her usual spiritual penetration and incisiveness, further defines the true "Jerusalem" as "home, heaven." She knew that however threatening the false picture, it still is unreal, without actual presence or power.

Always the human heart has yearned for heaven. The greatest Scientist of all time, the master Christian, Jesus of Nazareth, uttered words which have gradually changed the outlook of unnumbered multitudes. He said: "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." Here is revolutionary truth! The kingdom of God, or heaven, is not to be searched for outside of oneself, but within spiritual thinking. The Commandments left by Moses, together with Jesus' teaching, especially the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount, give mankind a clue to the attainment of home, heaven.

The illumination of Christ Jesus' teachings through Christian Science, discovered by Mrs. Eddy in 1866, has dissipated forever—for those who have understood it—the false belief of heaven as a place. They can see that "the kingdom of God is within," because they understand that spiritual man, the real and only man, the image and likeness of God, partakes of His attributes, by reflection.

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Dispelling Illusions
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