Article January 30, 1954 Issue

MAINTAIN YOUR ALTITUDE

BEATRICE E. LEE

The pilot of an airplane knows that he must maintain certain altitudes over cities in order to fly in obedience to safety regulations. In fact, there is a law which makes this imperative, and to forget or to neglect this law can bring penalty. The human law is enacted for the purpose of protecting both the pilot and the people and cities along his route.

Christian Science demands that its students maintain their altitude, an altitude that cannot be measured with instruments, but an altitude of thought, a state of consciousness. They know that they must act always in accordance with law, but they understand this law to be the law of God, the law of ever-present intelligence, the law of ever-unfolding good.

A practical lesson was learned by the writer when she was flying down the eastern coast of the United States in a privately owned plane. After about an hour of flying, the owner turned over the controls to her. With a strong grip on the stick she began to guide the plane, struggling to keep it on the course they had been flying. It swerved from left to right and began to dive. In spite of her great determination to keep a steady course, the plane bounced from side to side in a most disturbing manner. After a few moments of this the owner explained that because everything was properly adjusted the plane would fly to its destination safely and surely if there was no interference. He stated that the motor was warmed up, the supply of gas and oil was abundant, the proper altitude had been reached, and the correct course had been ascertained and needed only to be followed. The course could be kept with only the smallest assistance by alert watching of the instruments, gently returning to the course indicated when there was any deviation. This careful preparation was part of the law governing aviation for the sake of correct and safe flying. A glorious, smooth flight was happily concluded.

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