From the Editors March 24, 2014 ISSUE

Look up and around you!

The Editors

Last year, readers of the editorial page of The New York Times said goodbye to a columnist whose rural life they had shared for almost 16 years—teacher and author Verlyn Klinkenborg (“Farewell,” December 25, 2013). They had sat with him beside his wood stove while he explained that the only crops on his farm were his “thoughts and feelings and perceptions”—some annual, some perennial.

“But perhaps the most important thing I learned here, on these rocky, tree-bound acres,” he concluded, “was to look up from my work in the sure knowledge that there was always something worth noticing and that there were nearly always words to suit it.”

Someone else who consistently saw beauty “worth noticing” around her and readily found words to express it was Mary Baker Eddy, founder of this magazine. She once wrote: “Arctic regions, sunny tropics, giant hills, winged winds, mighty billows, verdant vales, festive flowers, and glorious heavens,—all point to Mind, the spiritual intelligence they reflect. The floral apostles are hieroglyphs of Deity” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 240 ).

The Scriptures are filled with such imagery, confirming nature’s response to the power and glory of the Creator, which leads us back to the first chapter of Genesis and to Mrs. Eddy’s revelation that “divine Mind is the only cause or Principle of existence,” and that “immortal spiritual man alone represents the truth of creation” (Science and Health, pp. 262 , 263 ).

Our individual spiritual exploration leads us to the discovery or rediscovery of those eternal truths. Wherever we are—in a crowded subway, stuffy classroom, office cubicle, child’s nursery—it’s essential to be able to look up even momentarily from our work and be aware of God’s activity in the world around us.

It’s essential to be able to look up even momentarily from our work and be aware of God’s activity in the world around us.

Such alertness and observational discipline invariably lead us toward the goodness and perfection of the divine nature. They challenge us to free ourselves from all evil, mean, or selfish thoughts; express more God-centered patience, courage, and meekness; and look around us to discover fresh meaning in every aspect (no matter how small) of our daily walk with divine Love.

The infinite variety and beauty of Mind’s creation, along with its instantly available power to renew and heal (even after events like fire and flood) provides all the evidence anyone could need of God’s existence and dominion.

With this realization, we can be glad with the prophet Isaiah who said that those who respond to God’s Word will “go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands” (Isaiah 55:12 ).

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