Article June 12, 2017 Issue

When the Science of Christianity purifies thought

Susan McGuire

My long-ago fish tank enclosed a small but beautiful world. Shimmery blue paper covered the back, and blue stones were scattered over the bottom. As filtered water bubbled cheerfully, tropical fish swam around green plastic plants and miniature castle ruins.

This little universe was only beautiful, though, when the water was clear. Cloudy water called for cleaning the tank. But exchanging dirty with clean water and replacing the filter weren’t enough. The debris hiding in between the rocks had to be removed before the water was once again crystal clear.

This cleaning process reminds me of a statement by Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer of Christian Science: “The muddy river-bed must be stirred in order to purify the stream” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 540). This was certainly the case with my fish tank, and I wondered what deeper meaning those words could have.

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