Teens October 26, 2020 Issue

Intelligence that’s always present

Emmanuel Tekila

It was my first year of university in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the exam period was approaching. Things weren’t looking good for me in my financial mathematics and descriptive statistics courses, which were core courses in my program. I understood almost nothing and saw myself as less intelligent compared to other classmates who expressed mastery in these two courses. I did not feel ready for exams at all.

In the Christian Science Sunday School, I had learned different synonyms for God, which express His various attributes. One of my favorites was “Mind.” God being divine Mind, He is the true source of intelligence and understanding.

This seemed very relevant to my situation. I turned to the Bible, where I discovered many stories showing how those who asked God for wisdom and intelligence with an honest heart were cared for. For instance, knowing that governing his kingdom would not be an easy task, King Solomon asked God for wisdom. Moses, sent to Egypt to bring out the children of Israel, complained that he was slow of tongue; there, too, God reassured him that He would help Moses know what he should say. Christ Jesus, the Master, demonstrated that intelligence is a faculty of the always permanent divine Mind, not a human brain: “And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” (John 7:15).

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