Article June 8, 1998 Issue

Don't get fooled by the drama

Don't like the look of things? Look again.

By Melanie Hahn Ball

Often the first step in spiritual healing is to stop being overwhelmed by the outward evidence of the challenge confronting us. We can gain the needed conviction by letting the Christ turn our thought to the truth of God and man—to the harmony and perfection of God's creation. I had an opportunity to do this recently while visiting a local preschool. I noticed a small boy who seemed to be creating a little war everywhere he went, throwing toys, hitting other children, and screaming in anger. It was quite a performance!

The very first chapter in the Bible explains that God's creation is perfect like Him in every way. So I knew that, in truth, this little one expressed goodness, self-control, and sweetness of temperament, because he was actually made by—and like—God, who is wholly good.

I realized that this little boy was acting out various adults' negative opinions of him. He was in the process of being evaluated for developmental and behavioral problems and was living up to the low expectations of those who considered him below par. Their negative thinking about this child is an example of what Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, describes as "mortal mind." She writes in Science and Health, "Upon this stage of existence goes on the dance of mortal mind" (p. 250).

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