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The view beyond division
When one is delving into the Bible, it’s inspiring to read of the healings and wisdom that attended the spiritual lives of those it highlights. But something else stands out about those living such spiritual lives—how gracious they could remain under trying circumstances.
Take King David, for instance. When I first read the story of this shepherd boy’s rise to become ruler of Israel and Judah, I was moved by how he responded under duress. He refused to take the life of King Saul, who was pursuing him to kill him (see I Samuel 24:1–7); backed out of a plan to take revenge on a man whose actions had enraged him (see I Samuel 25:1–35); and bestowed on the defeated Saul’s grandson the honor of eating daily at the king’s table (see II Samuel 9:1–13).
This wasn’t just good manners. These were instances of the spiritual largess that loves despite antagonism. Centuries before Christ Jesus’ crucifixion, David must have gleaned something of what the Savior would so vividly prove by forgiving those crucifying him—that our enemy is never really a person or a group of people. Why not? Because there is one infinite God, Spirit, and as God’s children or spiritual ideas, we forever truly reflect the divine oneness. So our real foe is a mistaken, material conception of ourselves and our creator—the mortal viewpoint that believes we can be divided from our divine source and consequently from each other.
Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.
February 20, 2017 issue
View Issue-
From the readers
Ruth Parkhurst, Janice Ritter
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Immigration issues and God’s government
Joan Bernard Bradley
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Spiritual selfhood
Mark Raffles
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Safe travels for all
Cathy Edge
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Annual Meeting 2017
The Christian Science Board of Directors
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Safe in Love’s armor
Charlene Anne Miller
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‘Never again short of a meal’
Carina James
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Pneumonia healed, humility restored
Jack Train
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Severe leg injury healed
Jacquelin Brown
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Freed from concerns about driving
Emily Sander
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On goats, serpents, and sheep
Lona Ingwerson
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Why the tweet #prayfor has staying power
The <i>Monitor’s</i> Editorial Board
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Prayer that is dependable
Michelle Boccanfuso Nanouche
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The view beyond division
Tony Lobl