Article October 16, 1948 Issue

DISAPPEARING SYMBOLS

JESSIE PAFFLEY

One summer day when the sun was high in the sky, a Christian Scientist remembered Mary Baker Eddy's definition of the word "sun," as given on page 595 of her textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." The definition reads as follows: "Sun, The symbol of Soul governing man, —of Truth, Life, and Love." The use of the word "symbol" reminded her that even our highest human sense of infinite good is but the sign and symbol, not the substance, which is Truth and Love.

By the world of reality is meant the spiritual, true creation as described in the first chapter of Genesis, where God made everything that was made. In the light of Christian Science this creation is seen as spiritually perfect and "very good"—a creation which is infinite, and wherein is no matter. It is stated in this chapter that God made man in His own image and likeness. It is also related that God blessed him and gave him dominion over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing upon the earth. This spiritual creation is the only real, substantial, and true creation.

In Christian Science we learn that Spirit and its formations are the only realities of being, and that Spirit is the only substance. To become cognizant of these facts we must become spiritually-minded, or in other words, we must become conscious through spiritual sense of the things of Spirit by acknowledging that God, Spirit, is the only Mind of man and by accepting as real only Godlike thoughts. Spirit is something we cannot see with the human eye or touch with material fingers, but we can feel the hallowed influence of a spiritual atmosphere of thought.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

HOW NEAR IS THE MILLENNIUM?