UPFRONT April 21, 2008 Issue

'Spotless selfhood'

STEVE GRAHAM, SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR

Have you ever seen one of those commercials for the newest, latest fantastic kitchen cleansers? First you see a stovetop that looks as though it was never once cleaned—lacquered with all manner of baked-on, caked-on grease and grime. Then a hand with a spongeful of the miracle product moves effortlessly through the gunk, cutting a shiny swath with laser precision, revealing a squeaky-clean surface that blinds with its brilliance. The contrast is so pronounced you wouldn't believe it's the same stove.

This is not to trivialize the seriousness of this week's Sentinel topic. But there's a point to make here about the contrast between the layers of time-accumulated guilt and regret that cling to so many people, and the unstained, brilliant, innocent identity God gives us each, forever. The contrast is infinitely more pronounced than any ad could ever depict. And through prayer, the revelation can come so quickly and effectively that even accumulated mistakes and regrets (in Bible language, "the years that the locust hath eaten") can and will be washed away through the cleansing, healing power of God's truth and love.

"Sooner or later," wrote Mary Baker Eddy, "the whole human race will learn that, in proportion as the spotless selfhood of God is understood, human nature will be renovated ..." (Unity of Good, p. 6). We hope that as you read the following articles by Rob Gilbert, Mike Hamilton, and Sandra Justad, you gain a better conviction of just how accurate and practical that promise is!

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