Because it expresses the spontaneity of Love, Life is joyous, free, not dependent upon material conditions to express itself, never localized, but universal, and forever unfolding itself. David, the sweet singer of Israel, caught a momentary view of this, for he tells us (Ps. 65:12, 13): "The little hills rejoice on every side. The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing." All of God's universe expresses Him. Divine Love's highest expression is man. The real man, the reflection of God, has nothing underived from his divine origin. His activity is the operation of spiritual law.

A dictionary gives the meaning of the word spontaneity as "without constraint or external force; ... self-activity; ... 'the essence of life.'" In Christian Science we discover that true spontaneity is inspiration, spiritual aliveness, and we see that it is the result of divine reflection.

Nothing labored, fruitless, or unyielding enters into the life that is Love's expression; the reflection of omnipresent Mind has nothing repetitious. Every least idea always expresses originality. This is illustrated by the fact that no two snow-flakes are alike, no two blossoms identical. Earnestness, warmth, animation, and a deep sincerity characterize the thinking of those who understand that the man of God's creating is not cold, inarticulate, or sad, but is forever expressing the inspiration of Love.

One responds naturally to the spontaneity of a little child, to its joyous enthusiasm, its unstudied, innocent gaiety. Children are direct, original, and oftentimes very effective in their utterance of truth. With convincing logic a child in a Christian Science Sunday School declared: "Light and darkness can't argue with each other because they don't know each other. Darkness has no place because it isn't anything; if it were something it would be light."

No weakness, timidity, or fear enters into that which expresses the spontaneity of Love. Nehemiah tells us (8:10), "The joy of the Lord is your strength." Man, expressing God, is constantly renewed in strength.

To think of oneself or another in a personal, limited way is the destructive Adam-dream, which would separate man from God, Life. Christian Science liberates mankind from this false concept, freeing them from a restrictive, limited, personal sense of themselves and of their fellow men. "He brought forth his people with joy, and his chosen with gladness," writes the Psalmist (Ps. 105:43).

The recognition of Life as it spiritually and divinely is—joyous, irresistible—has healed countless cases of physical disease and lifted many individuals above limiting circumstances. Life which is the expression of Love's spontaneity is irrepressible; it knows no dreariness, no frustration; it is unaware of either fear or hate, for in reality these are nonexistent. Mary Baker Eddy tells us in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 547), "Inspired thought relinquishes a material, sensual, and mortal theory of the universe, and adopts the spiritual and immortal." What burdens are dropped, what footsteps lightened as, the human yielding to the divine, the infinite scope of man's true being is recognized.

Peter and John, conscious of the glorious freedom of true selfhood, "went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer," so the Bible tells us; "and a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple" (Acts 3:1, 2.) Waiting for some small benefit, the lame man begged these strangers for an alms. Peter, knowing man as the expression of the one Mind, replied to this request, "Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee." Then he bade the man arise and walk; and we read that "he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God."

Together they entered into the temple, the true idea of intelligence, substance, and Life. In this temple, or sanctuary, the false personal sense of self disappears and with it the baseless mesmeric suggestion that man is sick or a sinner. In this wise the man born lame experienced the Christ-healing. What alertness, what spiritually consecrated knowing was needed to bring about this freedom. Today the divine consciousness of Love's spontaneity is unfolding to students of Christian Science; and many, because of it, are mentally "walking, and leaping, and praising God"—are joyous and active because of this unfoldment.

Cheerful, confident living, the result of viewing existence from the standpoint of divine Mind, God, may be experienced here and now. Joyous trust in the inevitability of good is the outcome of understanding God aright. Expressing Love's spontaneity, one discovers that it is not one's ability to find out what is wrong with mankind that makes one a Christian Scientist; rather is it the ability to discern what is always right with God's creation, and therefore what is in reality true of one's fellow men.

The inspiration of Love and the self-activity of Life destroy forever the personal, the petty, the limited aspect of existence. As one understands true selfhood and the kingdom of heaven, which is within, one gains release from the erroneous belief that man is a mortal, living in a material environment and subject to material, destructive, so-called laws.

In the light of Truth and Love one finds man radiant with health, joyous in strength and freedom, expressing the spontaneity of Love. As our beloved Leader says (Science and Health, p. 242), "Mere speculation or superstition appropriates no part of the divine vesture, while inspiration restores every part of the Christly garment of righteousness."