Article December 31, 2012 Issue

The protection of 'amazing' grace

Christopher Cieply

Have you experienced the miracle of grace? The Christian philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote: “The two foundations; one inward, the other outward; grace, miracles; both supernatural.” The grace of God that changes our hearts seems as supernatural as what we term miracles in our experience. But how do we account for these things? If God is consistent in His actions and purposes, how do we account for grace and miracle?

Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, wrote in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: “The miracle of grace is no miracle to Love” (p. 494). Later, she defined miracle as “that which is divinely natural, but must be learned humanly; a phenomenon of Science” (p. 591). Grace is easy to recognize, but difficult to define—here we might think of St. Augustine’s words: “What is grace? I know until you ask me; when you ask me, I do not know.”

To me grace means the work of God in our hearts—how God causes us to be spiritually alive, leads us to understand our own true selfhood in the likeness of the divine. Jesus’ contemplation of the Christ, Truth, established his unique identity and animated and empowered his healing. His victory over death is the supreme act of divine grace and promise of eternal life. The Christ is always reacquainting us with our radiant, spiritual selfhood; and this experience is grace! Grace and divine Science are inseparable.

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