Article July 30, 1990 Issue

God's presence: a gentle power

Too often power and gentleness are kept separate in our lives. But as we increasingly learn of Life as God, we discover that they're the same thing.

Fabian Craig-Wilson

I Woke one morning feeling very ill. That evening I needed to attend an important meeting, but I was not sure I could make it. I prayed conscientiously, acknowledging my spiritual perfection as God's own child; but I found no relief. Later, having decided to attend the meeting anyway, I sat in the back wondering how long I would be able to remain. I began to pray again, asking God to show me what I needed to know. It was then that the words of a poem by Mrs. Eddy came to me. I found peace and healing in the very first line: "O gentle presence, peace and joy and power." It was just the inspiration I needed.

It suddenly became very clear to me that real power not only could be, but is, God's gentle presence. I saw that this spiritual power, which comes from God, was even then actually enveloping me in harmony, peace, and joy. Since illness is neither harmonious, peaceful, nor joyous, it could not be a part of God's gentle, all-powerful presence, and so it could not be a part of me as His spiritual image. The symptoms disappeared; and what's more, the meeting was exceptionally harmonious.

We learn in Christian Science that omnipotent Truth is heard as "a still small voice," so is it surprising that power can be gentle? God, the creator of all, is described in the Scriptures as "the Almighty," in other words, as possessing all might. He is infinite Spirit, without beginning or ending, an infinite presence. God is also divine Love, the giver of all good; in fact, He is good itself. Thus, it follows that God must be almighty Love as well as the gentlest might.

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