When the inevitable, isn't
I recently enjoyed a long conversation with a fellow Christian Scientist about what is real (spiritual truths) versus unreal (fear, envy, and other errors). Following our talk, I thought about how error sometimes seems so real and natural that it goes unnoticed and unchallenged as part of day-to-day life. For example, it’s generally believed that a common cold will persist for a certain amount of time and that particular symptoms will follow in progression. There are even times when good results seem so unlikely that we hold out little, if any, hope of healing—or perhaps times when we’ve grown accustomed to a “chronic” condition and its recurring challenges. A life in which these beliefs are accepted, however, lacks the full blessings of a life based on divine Truth. When we view our daily events through a spiritual lens, we’ll be able to deny error as ever being normal or inevitable.
I can recall two occasions when error seemed so real that at first it didn’t even occur to me that there was hope for a positive outcome. The first incident occurred several years ago when a friend and I were driving on a side street one sunny morning. We were about to pass through an intersection when I noticed a large delivery truck approaching from the opposite direction. The driver signaled a left turn into our lane, but by then we had already entered the intersection. I assumed he would stop and give us the right of way and was shocked when he apparently did not see us (perhaps he was blinded by the sun). Instead of stopping, the truck started to turn.
Even though I hadn’t heard a crash, I had been certain that an accident had occurred.
I vaguely recall my arms sharply turning the steering wheel one direction and then the other, almost as if someone else was driving. I feel certain that those movements were not planned by me. The next thing I remember, I was telling my friend that I’d better get out and survey the damage. She replied, “Kaye, we weren’t hit—you’re still driving.” I was so shocked that I stalled the car and had to pull over to take a moment to comprehend what had or hadn’t happened. Even though I hadn’t heard a crash or felt a jolt, I had been certain that an accident had occurred.
While this example may seem extreme, it exemplifies all the matter-based beliefs that are accepted as real. The accident seemed inevitable, but in the kingdom of heaven, the realm of God in which we all live, the opposite is true: There are no accidents, only calm, peace, and well-being. Whether or not I recognized it at first, this spiritual fact was manifested in that situation.
A second time when the “inevitable” proved to be false was when a pet apparently drowned (see “Healing and the family pet,” Sentinel, September 9, 2013). It appeared to me that since our rat, Tidbits, had probably been dead for a while, it was too late to pray for healing. But instead, I declared that Life, God, is eternal. Tidbits revived, and in a couple of hours she was fully recovered. God taught me a valuable lesson that day about the so-called inevitability of error. Even though death seemed real, we are told in the Bible that the opposite is true—that life is eternal. Jesus proved that fact by raising the dead and through his own resurrection.
In both of these cases, I initially accepted the mortal picture because any other outcome seemed impossible. Yet I have read Jesus’ words: “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26 ) countless times. His message was not “some things are possible” or “sometimes things are possible.” No, with God all good is possible and is present. The question, then, is how to consistently view day-to-day experiences from a spiritual vantage point and not be lulled into accepting the so-called laws and lies of mortal mind.
One way to do this is to make the Bible and the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, our best friends and to read them cover to cover.
In Science and Health, Mrs. Eddy asks and answers the question “How can I progress most rapidly in the understanding of Christian Science?
“Study thoroughly the letter and imbibe the spirit. Adhere to the divine Principle of Christian Science and follow the behests of God, abiding steadfastly in wisdom, Truth, and Love” (p. 495 ).
These two books instruct us in how to witness the presence and activity of God, right where a discordant situation might appear. The Christian Science periodicals are also full of accounts of people who have applied the Science of the Christ in specific situations and subsequently experienced what is truly inevitable: witnessing God’s control over all. We are not on our spiritual journey alone, and these publications remind us that if someone else can experience healing, so can we.
We are not on our spiritual journey alone.
As we progress spiritually, we need to be alert to recognize error for what it is—a false representation of Life. Error is a negation, a contradiction—which means that when we replace erroneous concepts with their opposite, what is spiritually true, we’re really giving up nothing (error) for something (reality). This is not always easy. But with practice, spotting the “godliness” around us becomes a natural way of life. And when we look for God’s presence, we’ll find our daily lives changing. Words or actions that once bothered us won’t matter as much. We’ll feel more patience, and we’ll be more appreciative of people we meet or know—criticizing less and appreciating more. Increasingly, we’ll find freedom from concerns and more peace of mind.
During our more challenging times, we can remember: “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:21 ).
As we emulate the model of divinely inspired living set out by Christ Jesus, we’ll view our world with a spiritual outlook—looking for the good, the true. By so doing, we will discover the error that seemed inevitable, really isn’t. Perhaps our motto could be, “Out with the old (error) and in with the new (blessings foretold)!”
