Editorial April 2, 1979 Issue

"What is metaphysics?"

Geoffrey J. Barratt

To the average person, probably not a household word. But it's a useful term in Christian Science—a significant one—because it relates to that which is beyond, or in place of, matter. That God is Spirit and matter a false claim is a keystone in Christian Science.

Christian metaphysics conveys a sense of reality in accord with that held by Christ Jesus. This reality is composed of the goodness and presence of the infinite God, unchanging Love; it's evidenced in the wholeness and perfection of the universe and man, which God makes and embraces. This last sentence, in itself, is an example of a metaphysical statement. It refers to a realm that is not of matter and that is imperceptible to the senses. It is a Christianly metaphysical statement because it is demonstrable in human affairs, bringing about better health, ethics, and so on, in the way Jesus did.

"Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free,"^{John 8:32;} he said. The truth referred to is metaphysical truth. Truth frees because it liberates us from material misconceptions, the source of pain, disease, and all wrong. Only that which clarifies God's allness and man's purity can really liberate. Knowing the truth with spirituality and conviction brings the realization, along with the proof, that man is already free of materiality and its woes. The application of Christian metaphysics to suffering and troubles is empowered by the Christ, the activity and healing omnipresence of Truth.