Unpredictable strokes of bad fortune seem inevitable. Turn on the evening news and there’s often mention of some horrific accident. Constant exposure to this information can be scary and even overwhelming, but I have learned in my study of Christian Science to challenge the idea that any one of God’s beloved children can ever be a victim of chance or accident.

One insightful passage in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy is this: “Accidents are unknown to God, or immortal Mind, and we must leave the mortal basis of belief and unite with the one Mind, in order to change the notion of chance to the proper sense of God's unerring direction and thus bring out harmony.”

Because God is the only Mind, randomness and accidents can be no part of His creation. Under the one Mind’s direction, there can be no dangerous encounters. This is more than a theory. If we consciously “unite with the one Mind,” we can avoid accidents or be saved from their effects.

Several years ago I had an experience that showed me how turning to God with trust and understanding can—in a split second—reveal the protecting embrace of divine Love, even in an apparent life-threatening situation.

I was living in Cairo, Egypt at the time and working as an intern with a major news organization. Before arriving in the Middle East, I had become a certified scuba diver so that I could take advantage of the wonderful diving off the tip of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. Weekend scuba trips were a welcome break from the crowded, bustling life of Cairo, and I tried to go diving whenever I could.

One night, I hitched a ride with an office colleague for the lengthy drive to Sharm-El-Shaikh, a popular Sinai diving destination. We had a late start, and as the hours wore on, it seemed we were practically the only car on the nearly desolate road. It was somewhere around midnight when, with my friend driving, we finally reached the twisting section of roadway that signaled we were nearing our destination.

My friend seemed tired and irritable, and despite my protests started to drive much faster than was wise on such sharp curves. Finally, as we rounded an especially sharp bend, I felt the car leave the pavement. My life actually flashed before my eyes for a moment as the lightweight vehicle began to roll, side over side.

At first impact, I felt a sharp pain at the top of my head, but in the next fraction of a second I instinctively turned entirely to God. I guess you could say that right in the moment of crisis I united with the one Mind, God, as Science and Health recommends.

I completely released the situation to our divine Father-Mother with the deep trust that Love was right there, in complete control.

I will never forget what happened next in those fleeting moments before the car came to rest. Despite the fact that I wasn’t wearing a seat belt, I felt as if I were wrapped in a swath of soft cotton. I felt no more physical jolts. I felt no more pain. I felt embraced in Love.

As the dust cleared, my friend (who had been wearing a seat belt) and I were easily able to climb out of the crumpled, upside-down car. Although the vehicle was totaled, we had only minor cuts and bruises. My friend was astounded. I was profoundly grateful and felt a deep sense of calm. I felt surrounded by Love, and I had no feelings of anger or resentment toward my friend because of his driving.

Before long, another car passed by and gave us a ride into Sharm-El-Shaikh, where we reported the accident to the authorities and had the car towed away.

We took a bus back to Cairo the next day without going scuba diving. But I came away with a much more treasured experience. I had witnessed harmony in the face of apparent disaster. I had literally felt the tender arms of divine Love amidst shattering glass and crunching steel. In that fraction of a second, I clearly witnessed the ever-presence of all-powerful Love. I think of this experience often, especially when I'm afraid.

I’m grateful to know that the protection my friend and I experienced was based on the law of God. This divine law of safety is always available to each of us, because “accidents are unknown to God.” As we open ourselves up to the unerring direction of God, divine Mind, we gain more and more freedom from random evil, accidents, and chance.

Divine Love’s protection:

Science and Health
424:5

King James Bible
Ps. 46:1