Article January 1, 1944 ISSUE

Where Are We?

FREDERICK W. STRINGER

The Psalmist, when uplifted spiritually to realize man's coexistence with the infinite God, declared, "Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations."

Throughout all the generations of the dream called material existence with its loving and fearing, its loneliness, poverty, and sorrow, the ineffable grandeur of infinite Mind and its ideas has actually been the only real. In the only true consciousness or dwelling place, the fleeting illusion of life in matter has occupied not the slightest point at any time or place. Man's identity as a creation of Spirit has never known or been touched by the dream presentations of war, sin, disease, and death. God's happy family has never been depleted or separated.

The anguish of loss and separation is experienced only in the mortal illusion that we are excluded from heaven and its holy family. Thus the destruction of this mesmeric belief can take place only as this false sense of separation is displaced by the realization that our real identity is spiritual, without need or knowledge of corporeal accompaniment, and has dwelt forever in the harmonious realm of Mind.

In these days of magnified error called war, human sense may be mesmerized into fearing and experiencing belief in separation from loved ones, loss of home, loss of life, and great is the need of that divine comfort which only Christian Science can give.

A few months ago the writer was called upon to see one of his three soldier sons off to a distant land, and it seemed impossible to go through the good-by scene without grief. All kinds of subterfuges and maneuvers were thought of to avoid going through the experience until, in a quiet moment, an angel voice said: "Can God's child go out of its Father's loving care and presence? In God's sight man is happy and forever safe." There followed a quick healing of all sense of false pity and responsibility, and all those present at the farewell had a happy, loving time, without the slightest suggestion of sorrow. Later on in greater spiritual illumination, the writer was led to ask himself: "As a Christian Scientist, 'where art thou?' In matter or in Spirit? for where consciousness is, there will be loved ones also."

On page 76 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, we may read this profound statement of Truth: "The sinless joy.—the perfect harmony and immortality of Life, possessing unlimited divine beauty and goodness without a single bodily pleasure or pain,—constitutes the only veritable, indestructible man, whose being is spiritual."

Whether or not our loved ones are discernible by the physical senses, the eternal spiritual fact that we and they dwell together in the realm of Mind is unalterable. Home is that spiritual state of consciousness we most enjoy, and we are securely at home with our loved ones as we are "absent from the body" and at home with them in all-inclusive Spirit.

If we are indulging in the false consciousness of material existence we shall experience its dream sensations of separation, loneliness, disaster, and death; but if we dwell in the true consciousness of spiritual existence, we shall enjoy the realization of divine Love's unbroken eternal perfection, and see those we love as being superior to matter, out of danger, and out of war.

Let us not be too concerned as to where our loved ones are. It is where we mentally are that matters; for if we are dwelling consciously in Love's kingdom we shall realize that they are there also. Let us feel the joy, security, and comfort of being at home with our loved ones in the allness of Spirit. Then the relationship of Love's appointing will be consciously experienced in the full, unbroken, eternal grandeur of spiritual existence, far above the mere cessation of armed conflict this world misnames peace.

Recalling the lines of Mrs. Eddy's beautiful prayer (Poems, p.12 ),

"From tired joy and grief afar,
And nearer Thee,—
Father, where Thine own children are,
I love to be,"

let us stand erect, and look up into the realm of Mind, and say with the Psalmist, "I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living."

Send a comment to the editors
NEXT IN THIS ISSUE
Article
The Message and the Messenger
January 1, 1944
Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit