Article December 12, 1977 Issue

Nothingness Is Powerless to Resist Somethingness

MAUREEN GENTRY KEWLEY

There has always been resistance to Truth. Christ Jesus found that his teachings were unacceptable to the Hebrew leaders. Mrs. Eddy hoped that her discovery of the Science of Christianity would be welcomed by all Christian churches, but instead it was largely misunderstood. And still today materialistic ideologies and systems resist religion based on the allness of Spirit, God.

Even among committed Christian Scientists there may sometimes be resistance to regular study of the Lesson-Sermon and to deep study of the Bible and Mrs. Eddy's writings. It is by such prayerful study, however, that one is able to grow in spirituality and gain the understanding of God and of man as His expression, which heals.

Dictionary definitions of the word "resist" include obstruct, oppose, and withstand. Looking up these words in Concordances to the Bible and Mrs. Eddy's writings reveals many interesting facets to this question of resistance. It soon becomes clear that man does not resist Truth. As the expression or reflection of God, who is Truth itself, how could man resist his own nature? It is Adam that resists: the mortal belief that we live in matter and have a mind or intelligence apart from God. Mrs. Eddy says, "Divide the name Adam into two syllables, and it reads, a dam, or obstruction."^{ Science and Health, p. 338;}