Article May 29, 1971 Issue

Keep Melody in Your Heart

OLIVIA P. WHITTAKER

The writer lives across the road from a bird sanctuary. At certain times of the year with the appearing of the first rays of dawn one bird will pour forth his own rapturous melody. Then another and another will start singing until the air is filled with a symphony of song. She has often thought what a glorious response this is to the presence of infinite Soul. And what a lesson for the human heart when the shadows of life seem dark or bleak and "when joys of daylight seem so like a dream"!^{Christian Science Hymnal, No. 359;}

According to the teachings of Christian Science, man expresses the radiancy of joy as naturally as the bird bursts forth in song. God, or Soul, is the source of his being. Therefore man includes all the qualities of Soul: completeness, wholeness, purity, perfection, beauty, love—all that makes for joyous, satisfied living. Man is not a saddened mortal. He never can lose his joy.

When one is rejoicing in his own present self-completeness, the discords in human experience disappear as naturally as darkness disappears with the dawn. These words of Mrs. Eddy's reveal to us the present possibility of joyous living: "St. Paul wrote, 'Rejoice in the Lord always.' And why not, since man's possibilities are infinite, bliss is eternal, and the consciousness thereof is here and now?"^{Miscellaneous Writings, p. 330;} How divinely right it is for us to be happy, to express delight, to be glad, to sing as spontaneously as a bird! Christ Jesus said, "Be of good cheer."^{John 16:33;}