In the Christian Science Bible Lesson May 26, 2014 Issue

Darkness denounced!

For the Lesson titled “Ancient and Modern Necromancy, alias Mesmerism and Hypnotism, Denounced” from May 26 - June 1, 2014

Kathleen Collins

Light. It makes things clear. It makes plants grow. A bright light shining in a dark alley deters crime. The light of understanding dispels fear and creates confidence. Light enables us to see color and beauty. No wonder it is such an apt metaphor for the workings of God! On the other hand, darkness symbolizes fear, ignorance, and sin. This week’s Bible Lesson titled, “Ancient and Modern Necromancy, alias Mesmerism and Hypnotism, Denounced,” makes full use of light versus darkness metaphors. It speaks to the essence of Christian Science theology: “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (I John 1:5, citation 2).

The terms used in the Lesson’s title are associated with “mental action.” In her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy explains: “Christian Science goes to the bottom of mental action, and reveals the theodicy which indicates the rightness of all divine action, as the emanation of divine Mind, and the consequent wrongness of the opposite so-called action,—evil, occultism, necromancy, mesmerism, animal magnetism, hypnotism” (p. 104, cit. 7). This wrong “so-called action” is deceptive and confusing; however, it is proved to be powerless by the light of Truth, divine Mind.

Isaiah cautions, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light and light for darkness” (Isaiah 5:20, cit. 5). The Pharisees called good evil when they accused Jesus of healing through the power of “Beelzebub the prince of the devils” (see Matthew 12:22–29, cit. 11). Animal magnetism can appear as beliefs in devils, demons, and magic. Jesus frequently healed those who were “possessed with a devil,” as was the blind and dumb man in this case. Sorcerers, exorcists, and magicians were commonplace in Jesus’ time, but Jesus was not among those. His power came from God. By slanderously suggesting that Jesus served Beelzebub, the Pharisees intended to distract the crowd from their budding realization that Jesus was actually the “son of David,” or the expected Messiah. But Jesus debunked the Pharisees’ illogical accusation and told them pointedly: “If I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.” His subsequent analogy of “the strong man” is explained thus in Science and Health: “Mortal mind is ‘the strong man,’ which must be held in subjection before its influence upon health and morals can be removed” (p. 399, cit. 12).