Not good = not real

Here’s a simple touchstone to test the reality or unreality of everything that appears in our experience: “Everything good or worthy, God made. Whatever is valueless or baneful, He did not make,—hence its unreality” (Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 525 , citation 1). How wonderful! If it’s good, it’s real. If it’s not good, it’s not real.

This week’s Christian Science Bible Lesson, titled “Unreality,” alerts us in every section not to be deceived—not to turn from this healing truth. But is it too simplistic to say everything that isn’t good isn’t real? What about global crises, tyrannical governments, even individual challenges of pain, incurability, despair? The Lesson has some answers!

As a foundation for what is real, the word good is used 18 times in Section 1 all based on this statement: “God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31 , cit. 6).

In Section 2, we’re alerted not to be deceived—even in a crisis challenging a whole region. The prophet Elijah is in the midst of a lengthy drought with no source of supply (see I Kings 17, cit. 9). This is not good. Instead of panicking, he listens and receives a very unexpected direction from God. Elijah is to travel 100 miles to Zarephath, a city in the Gentile region of Zidon—Baal-worshiping territory. Besides the unusual location, Elijah is told that a widow will sustain him. In ancient times, a widow would have been a very unlikely person to turn to for help. But Elijah obeys God, the widow obeys Elijah, and together they prove that lack and limitation are unreal, while what is real is God’s abundant provision.

What if one faces unjust, enslaving human laws—or laws that can be manipulated by enemies to cause suffering? Section 3 tells of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who prove that if a law isn’t good, one needn’t fear or bow down to it (see Daniel 3, cit. 12). When the three refused to worship the king’s 90-foot golden obelisk, they were bound and thrown, in their highly flammable clothing, into a super-heated furnace. All that burned were the bonds. Mary Baker Eddy explains what happened: “Holy inspiration has created states of mind which have been able to nullify the action of the flames …” (Science and Health, p. 161 , cit. 15). Because evil never was real, it’s not surprising that the men didn’t even smell smoky!

In Section 4, Jesus’ tares and wheat parable (see Matthew 13, cit. 15) illustrates that even in a chaotic situation where good and evil seem indistinguishable, the two never touch. Patient trust will bring the moment when evil is exposed and harmlessly removed.

When lepers come to Jesus, in Section 5, asking for mercy, he sends them to the priests. Why? Jewish law states that if a leper is healed, he must go to a priest to be “certified” as pure (see Leviticus 14:2, 3 ). Jesus knew that disease is never real. He saw the reality of God’s man, always pure. As a result of this seeing, “as they went, they were cleansed” (Luke 17:14 , cit. 17).

Let’s keep our simple touchstone ever in thought: If it’s good, it’s from God and is real. If it’s not good, it’s just not real. Holding to this, the promise will be fulfilled, “Thou shalt not see evil any more” (Zephaniah 3:15 , Golden Text).