In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy states, “Divine Science, rising above physical theories, ex-cludes matter, resolves things into thoughts, and replaces the objects of material sense with spiritual ideas” (p. 123). There is no doubt that putting this statement into practice is an essential element of spiritual growth. However, I must admit that at times I found this concept unsettling.

For me, the great concern was that I would have to give up the things I most enjoy in the natural world. I envisioned having to gather up clouds, mountains, animals, and plants into a big box and take it all to a returns counter somewhere, where I would leave it all in exchange for ideas. 

Though not as literal as this imagined scene, the prospect of needing to give up these things that I loved wasn’t pleasing. I believed I would be trading in fascinating objects that I could see and touch for ideas that I couldn’t see or touch. And I felt that I might drag my feet on spiritual growth because I was not in a hurry to get to the place where I would have to do this.