Article February 24, 2020 Issue

Unplugging evil

Elizabeth Crecelius Schwartz

One time, my husband and I were climbing Half Dome, a peak in Yosemite National Park in the United States. At the base of the final summit we were stopped by a warning sign: “If a thunderstorm is anywhere on the horizon, do not pass beyond this sign.” Exposure to lightning strikes was considered a real danger.

Since then, I’ve thought about that sign as a symbol for times when storm clouds have appeared on my mental horizon. Major events in my life—buying a new house, receiving a promotion at work, getting married, having a baby—have sometimes brought with them my own fears as well as judgment from others. Like a hiker at the top of Half Dome during a lightning storm, I’ve felt exposed and vulnerable.

This has happened often enough that I’ve wondered what it is about taking the final steps to the top of our “mountains” that impels negative reactions. My study of Christian Science has brought the following answer: Any evil in our lives stems from the basic belief that there’s a power opposed to God.

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