Article December 3, 2018 Issue

God’s presence dispels the darkness

Marilyn Wickstrom

I closed the door behind me and proceeded to the car; it was 6 a.m. and still dark. Suddenly, the silence of my surroundings was interrupted by the clear, sweet song of a cardinal. This joyful greeting, welcoming me to celebrate the new day, uplifted my thought. I responded with the best whistle I could muster. Amazingly, my effort was returned with a new burst of eloquence by the cardinal. Soon the two of us were engaging in a musical conversation—what a treasure!

Regretfully, I had to abandon this unique moment for the drive required to get to work. But it was the first of many valued moments I had the privilege of sharing with this lovely bird. As I thought more about it, I started to see my experience with the bird as an object lesson illustrating that even when things seem dark humanly, God is ever present, and His truth can break through the darkness and lift us up. Just as the darkness of the early morning couldn’t get in the way of my feeling inspired by the cardinal’s singing, the seeming presence of anything unlike good in our lives can’t prevent us from seeing through its illusive nature. This is possible as we utilize our spiritual sense, accepting the darkness-dispelling truths that God is all-powerful and we are His spiritual ideas—whole, perfect, loved, and free from evil of any kind. There is no power opposed to God to affect or influence our thought. The cardinal wasn’t deterred by the darkness. Not only was his song an inspiration, but his ability to disregard the darkness was such an example. I loved it!

In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy writes: “We are sometimes led to believe that darkness is as real as light; but Science affirms darkness to be only a mortal sense of the absence of light, at the coming of which darkness loses the appearance of reality. So sin and sorrow, disease and death, are the suppositional absence of Life, God, and flee as phantoms of error before truth and love” (p. 215).

Enjoy 1 free Sentinel article or audio program each month, including content from 1898 to today.

Send a comment to the editors
NEXT IN THIS ISSUE
Article
Put Love first
December 3, 2018
Contents

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit