The Beautiful and Real
[Written Especially for Young People]
Recently a contest was conducted by one of the oldest and best American magazines to encourage young writers. The judgment was, after more than one thousand manuscripts submitted had been examined, that the stories contained "not much sweetness and light." It would seem that the writers in their endeavor to depict realism had regarded distortion and ugliness in human experience as the reality of life and, to quote the comment of the magazine, the stories "showed that their authors had only a romantic notion of the realism they were striving for."
In marked contrast with this trend toward accepting ugliness in human experience as real and necessary, a current trade journal, The Inland Printer, relates a delightful and inspiring story about Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, who, with one comment born of a deep perception and a yearning to inspire the young in their search for beauty and its expression in life, set forth a great spiritual fact. In an article entitled "New 'Science and Health' Edition a Monumental Work," it is related that the publisher of her book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," sometimes sent his young apprentice to talk with Mrs. Eddy about the book.
Knowing that the publisher was thinking of making this young man his successor because of his gifts, Mrs. Eddy drew her visitor out as to his ideals and his life purposes. She asked him why he was unwilling to remain in the business of book manufacture, and he replied, "Because I wish to devote myself to something into which beauty may be introduced." Mrs. Eddy's reply may be taken to heart by all who wish to find real satisfaction in their lifework. She said, "But if one has beauty in himself, he may put beauty into anything which he undertakes." It is interesting to note that this youth ultimately became the designer of one of the most beautiful books of our time, the subscription edition of Science and Health.
All too often both young and old, instead of cultivating a sense of beauty in their own thought, the only place where it can be awakened, look for it where it is not to be found—in matter. Not finding it there, they may dwell on the sordidness of the mortal sense of life with its dishonesty, lust, hate, cynicism, and decay, and call themselves realists. That all true realism is characterized by beauty does not readily occur to those who have not yet gained an understanding of the truth as taught by Christian Science. Looking to the evidence of the material senses, they see that which at best is only temporal and represents what Mrs. Eddy calls in Science and Health (p. 78), in a marginal heading, "Unnatural deflections." Under that heading she writes: "The decaying flower, the blighted bud, the gnarled oak, the ferocious beast,—like the discords of disease, sin, and death,—are unnatural. They are the falsities of sense, the changing deflections of mortal mind; they are not the eternal realities of Mind." The "changing deflections of mortal mind" are in contrast with the reflection of the one Mind, God, good, which is discerned and understood in Christian Science as the only real.
Because Christian Science teaches and proves that "perfection underlies reality" (ibid., p. 353), it follows that all that is real is perfect, and therefore beautiful. Conversely, only that may be truly called beautiful which is spiritual, for only spiritual things are unmarred in their harmony, perfection, balance, and rhythm. Mrs. Eddy says (ibid., p. 247), "Beauty is a thing of life, which dwells forever in the eternal Mind and reflects the charms of His goodness in expression, form, outline, and color." Beauty is characterized by holiness, grace, integrity. Beauty in man is not so much a matter of outward appearance as a thing of character; beauty is continuous unfoldment in individual consciousness of God's purpose for man; beauty in nature hints the spiritual reality, the variety, grace, harmony, and color of Love's infinite manifestation.
The basic teaching of divine Science is that the universe, including man, is spiritual and good, and therefore beautiful. Having thus discovered through spiritual sense that only the beautiful is real, and that the real is always beautiful, we are enabled to express spontaneously this truth in all that we think or speak or set our hand to do in the daily round. In this way we nullify the woes of human sense, whether our own or those of others, and successfully improve and beautify human conditions. We begin to comprehend and continually express in all our undertakings the beauty, poise, and spiritual freedom which we, as children of God, reflect. Thus may each one prove for himself that he has as reflection the capacity to fulfill the demands of God. Job, mesmerized momentarily by a sense of self-debasement and depression, thought himself vile. But Job heard the comforting words which all may hear, as they listen to the voice of Truth: "Gird up thy loins now like a man ... Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty."
