Article May 28, 1979 Issue

Wilderness—passageway, not pathless way

PATRICIA M. BENNETT

"I never left heaven!" These words might sound peculiar to one unfamiliar with Christian Science. But this radical standpoint was the basis of Jesus' mighty healing works; and it must be ours today if we are to follow his example.

Heaven is not the future destination of good mortals. It is that perfect state of consciousness which is the present habitation of the sons and daughters of God—and that's who we really are. We live in the atmosphere of Soul, are governed by divine Principle. In truth, we are conscious only of harmony, of spirituality and bliss.

The awakening of human consciousness to perfect being is a journey out of matter into Spirit, from a physical sense to a spiritual sense of life. At some point along the way, we may find ourselves in the wilderness—not in a deserted place on the earth's surface but in a desolate state of earthy, matter-based thinking. Mrs. Eddy's definition of "wilderness" points to this state of consciousness, to "loneliness; doubt; darkness." Perhaps the absence of someone close to us, a failing business, or loss of health has driven us there. Whatever the seeming cause, we can take heart from the conclusion of the definition: "Spontaneity of thought and idea; the vestibule in which a material sense of things disappears, and spiritual sense unfolds the great facts of existence." Science and Health, p. 597;

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A faith to live by
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