On page 29 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mary Baker Eddy associates light with one of the greatest and most far-reaching events, fraught with beneficent import to the whole world. She writes, "The illumination of Mary's spiritual sense put to silence material law and its order of generation, and brought forth her child by the revelation of Truth, demonstrating God as the Father of men."

In the first chapter of his Gospel, John declares, in speaking of Christ Jesus. "That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world," And later Jesus assured his followers. "Ye are the light of the world." Therefore whoever understands and thereby identifies himself with this light individually, universally, is "demonstrating God as the Father of men."

We are inclined to think that light is something objective, therefore outside ourselves; that it belongs to or reaches some more than others. Light, however, is universally and impartially bestowed. That which alone prevents spiritual illumination is the conscious or unconscious acceptance of mental darkness, the belief in ignorance, faithlessness, or fear— all that is illusionary.

On page 215 of Science and Health Mrs. Eddy writes. "Whatever is governed by God, is never for an instant deprived of the light and might of intelligence and Life." It must be clear that that which is and expresses light cannot know darkness; can never be in ignorance, in uncertainty; cannot know death. Ours then to claim our identity with light, as set forth by Jesus; ours to know that the might which is the light of spiritual knowing silences every false law of materiality, every belief of extinction arising out of the darkness of nothingness to challenge God's eternal edict of light.

How marvelous is the illumination which comes when spiritual sense reveals the truth of Life and Love! Then men perceive that the whole structure of mortality, with its boasted rules, its diagnoses and penalties, its false reasoning and harsh prophecies, is produced by the darkness of ignorance and dispelled by the light of intelligence. Christ Jesus' spiritual sense was so continually illumined that in his presence and with his understanding, every material law, even the argument of death itself, was silenced, and spiritual law took its place.

It is interesting to note in the parable of the virgins that they were called upon not to depend on the bridegroom or on one another for light. Each one had to have her own lamp and have it filled with oil. This was her individual responsibility, her task, and no one could perform it for her. The fact that the foolish virgins believed that borrowed oil would qualify them for association with the bridegroom when he appeared, is sufficient evidence of their irresponsibility and unpreparedness. Only he who knows that the oil no less than the light will be his not as the result of another's foresight and labors, but because of his own consecration and spiritual illumination, is ready to be wedded to Truth.

On page 276 of "Miscellaneous Writings" Mrs. Eddy writes: "In Christian Science the midnight hour will always be the bridal hour, until 'no night is there.' The wise will have their lamps aglow, and light will illumine the darkness." We learn that it cannot be otherwise if we have accepted the assurance of Jesus, "Ye are the light of the world."

Today the world calls for light, and in this midnight hour of its history it is for the Christian Scientist, not now and then, not here and there, but always, to replace the darkness of ignorance with the true light. The bridal hour of spiritual awareness is here. In the light and might of intelligent, consecrated knowing, lamps will ever remain trimmed and burning.

He who selfishly, improvidently, seeks light from without, or, anxiously scanning the horizon of conjecture and human evidence, swings from optimism to pessimism, from hope to hopelessness, will be robbed not only of his purpose and mission, but of fulfilling the Master's mandate to his followers. Only he who manifests light himself has light for the world in which he lives.

In the illumination of spiritual sense, whereby men perceive that the claim of materiality is as illusive, as unreal, as the strange shapes and shadows which present themselves in a darkened room, there can surely be only one consideration, one ideal, one goal. The midnight hour of the world's belief in materiality cannot frighten or overwhelm him who knows that he is representative of "the true Light, which lighteth every man." Spiritually illumined, he separates the true and false, and steadfastly maintains this separation. For him, therefore, the midnight hour of human waiting is never other than the bridal hour of divine assurance.

He who has come into the marvelous light of Christian Science, who has known healing and deliverance, who has seen the silencing of material laws, who has been made aware of God's fatherhood and motherhood, will continue to prove for himself and for others that there is no night of fear and hatred, of danger and tyranny, which the light of Truth cannot dispel. No midnight hour will be to him anything but the opportunity to prove that light and might are one, and that man is their forever expression.

Evelyn F. Heywood