Editorial January 20, 1940 ISSUE

Enlightenment

Evelyn F. Heywood

Had the purpose of existence and the pursuit of learning been consistently devoted to the enlightening of the race, it may be presumed that a further stage would have been reached, by now, in its development. But the human mind, believing in both good and evil, has regarded enlightenment sometimes as a friend, but hardly less frequently as an enemy. To enhance and defend itself, to undermine and destroy its enemies, it has resorted to the darkness of lies, of ignorance, of deceit. Yet the primary command of the creator was, "Let there be light," to which the recorder adds with brief, stupendous finality, "And there was light." Many centuries later, Christ Jesus told his followers that not only he, but they also were the light of the world. Thus did he identify all men with God's law of light. The purpose of Jesus, as it must be the purpose of his followers, was the world's enlightenment.

The Revelator understood the all-importance of light in the history of mankind; he beheld "one like unto the Son of man" in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. Radiantly clear, indeed, in its completeness must have been that vision to him. He concludes with these words: "And his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength." Later, he consummated his picture of Spirit's creation with that of "a woman clothed with the sun." Of this vision Mary Baker Eddy writes in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 561): "The spiritual idea is clad with the radiance of spiritual Truth, and matter is put under her feet. The light portrayed is really neither solar nor lunar, but spiritual Life, which is 'the light of men.'"

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