Article August 27, 1984 Issue

Parenting, children, and God

WINDING COPLEY IVEY

"Loose him, and let him go"^{John 11:44.} was Christ Jesus' command to family and friends gathered at the tomb as Lazarus stepped forth. This can be both a command and a promise to seekers of the truth today. While the level of spiritual understanding that would enable one to resuscitate those who have gone on may require great growth in spirituality, we can begin to demonstrate the concept of "loosing and letting go" in ways that are at once practical and redeeming.

As one of its fundamental points, Christian Science teaches that the real man is spiritual, not material. This man is perfect because he is the image and likeness of God, never confined in a physical form. From a Christianly scientific standpoint, to loose someone, then, really means to release him from the erroneous belief that his existence is bounded by matter.

Breaking the fetters of material sense is a divine demand, and we can begin now to confront their limitations. One area where this can be especially effective is the parent-child relationship, which is frequently vulnerable because of the myriad beliefs attached to it by society. The spiritual approach carries with it a powerful assurance that as we prayerfully exercise our parental responsibilities, we will begin to see that God—not a mortal, whether parent or child—is in command.

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