Article May 23, 1994 Issue

Soaring above the material senses

Cathryn Obey Anderson

In Science and Health, next to the marginal heading "Immaterial pleasure," Mrs. Eddy writes, "The sinless joy,—the perfect harmony and immortality of Life, possessing unlimited divine beauty and goodness without a single bodily pleasure or pain,— constitutes the only veritable, indestructible man, whose being is spiritual" (p. 76). This statement about harmony and immortality has helped me to understand more about the genuine spirituality of God's creation. Now I look all around me for hints of spirituality and the harmony that goes with it.

For example, one Sunday afternoon last year, while looking out into our backyard onto the pond, I noticed barn swallows flying and swooping by our house and then diving close to the surface of the water. At the same time, I was listening to one of Mozart's symphonies. The birds seemed to be flying to the music. I sat and watched for several minutes. I could even see the beautiful colors of the birds' feathers as they swooped close to the house. It was such a moving experience, I really couldn't describe it or talk about it for a while. It is often difficult to put into words an experience such as this that carries spiritual lessons for us. The sound of the music and the sight of the swallows pointed so strongly to spiritual harmony, irrespective of any sense of matter. I felt I was beginning to hear, see, and feel with the spiritual senses.

This experience illustrated to me the harmony, freedom, strength, and beauty of Soul. It helped me to see the true, God-given nature of birds, leading above and beyond the discords of matter. They almost seemed to be saying, "Rise higher, go up higher. Don't stay down in the mortal sense of things, but soar to the spiritual sense of Life, to newness of Life as God, Spirit, Truth, Love, Soul, Principle, and Mind, where harmony reigns and is All."

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