In the Christian Science Bible Lesson August 6, 2012 Issue

'Soul' music

Virginia Stopfel—Beverly, Massachusetts

It’s amazing how the word Soul, the title of the Bible Lesson for this week (and a well-loved synonym for God in Christian Science), in its more common meaning (soul) has been adopted by society to describe many aspects of daily life. We eat soul food; sing, play, listen to soul music; read literature with soul, or without it; and even refer to people as having depth of soul. 

Soul as the essence of character has a strong foundation in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word for soul is nephesh, and can have several translations, including “person” or “self.” Bible passages in this Lesson bring out this essence in several significant ways.

Job calls on God as Soul, recognizing that Soul as divine Being is capable of carrying out whatever is necessary for Job’s existence as Soul’s image and likeness. Job says, “He is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth. For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him” (Job 23:13, 14, citation 4).

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