Stars in the Firmament

JESSIE B. RICHMOND

In the apocalyptic vision of John, the woman who is the type of the spiritual idea, of man in the image of God, wears a crown of twelve stars. A crown symbolizes sovereignty. Man as God has made him, has dominion "over all the earth," — dominion first over himself and then over his environment and circumstances, which by being properly used become opportunities for loving deeds and high achievements. Man's dominion consists in what he knows of good; and because Jesus knew the Christ, Truth, he had dominion over all things. This idea is clearly set forth in the teachings of Christian Science, which proves itself to every sincere truth-seeker to be indeed the Christ Science, or divine knowing. Thus the path leading to dominion for every individual student of this Science lies in making his own the Mind, as Paul says, "which was also in Christ Jesus."

Mrs. Eddy tells us that the crowned woman of the Apocalypse "symbolizes generic man" (Science and Health, p. 561), all humanity seen as one, consciously and continuously reflecting the all-knowing, all-loving Mind, for man is the expression of the divine Mind, God. The crown named in St. John's vision is adorned with twelve stars. This number represents completeness. Every seeker for Truth is represented there, shining with the brightness of the divine appearing as a light in heaven. This light, or true enlightenment, is the spiritual understanding of all-inclusive harmony. All is good to the consciousness governed by Principle; and this state of consciousness constitutes heaven. The woman's crown is truly one of rejoicing, for humanity is satisfied, having awakened in God's likeness. Men have come to recognize divine Love's universality and impartiality; there is none left outside, and nothing to cast into the pit but sin and death, false destructible beliefs. Thus mankind reaches a higher level than that of the poet who sings of his faith, —

That nothing walks with aimless feet,
That not one life shall be destroyed,
Or cast as nothing to the void,
When God has made the pile complete.

But before mortals can see the woman God-crowned, they must travel the road that leads by Bethlehem, and like the Magi of old discern spiritually that guiding light, the vision of Truth, perceived but dimly at first through the darkness of human ignorance, the star which led the wise men to the manger-cradle. Only through light from the harmony born of obedience to divine Truth and Love can humanity find its redemption from the bonds of the flesh and enter the kingdom of the Christ-idea.

To John the revelator there came the further vision of the infinite possibilities rising from small beginnings, when he saw the seven churches of Asia as seven golden candlesticks. Looking above this human sense of the seven lights of infant Christianity, shining amid the heathen darkness of paganism and fossil Judaism, John saw in the right hand of him who was in the midst of the seven candlesticks, seven stars. The voice of Truth proclaimed that these were the angels of the seven churches. Human sense saw the candlesticks, the human effort and present achievement of these first church builders and practitioners of Christianity, but the Christ revealed the churches as seven stars in his right hand, endued with the power of immortal Love and Life. These seven ancient churches of Asia, even while to mortal sense they were struggling with obdurate and subtle error, were shown by Spirit to be lights in heaven, corroborating and fulfilling the prophetic vision of Daniel that they who "turn many to righteousness" shall shine "as the stars for ever and ever."

Is not this the happy experience of the Church of Christ, Scientist, today? What a privilege it is to share in its great work, walking in the light of this prophecy and tasting day by day the blessing which comes to those who sow that others may reap ! The light that shines from divine Science is the light of Love, and it is lighting up every dark place of the earth, for it brings that understanding of the truth of being which heals both sickness and sin. In this divine light evil is seen to be but a dream, and the supposed existence of matter, with its limitations and reversals, to be an illusion. The actual fact of being, here and now, is, as our inspired Leader tells us in Science and Health (p. 510), "Mind, . . . shining by its own light and governing the universe, including man, in perfect harmony."

Like John on Patmos, Mrs. Eddy looked above and beyond the present demonstration of the Church of Christ, Scientist, and saw not only the candlesticks but the seven stars, pure and perfect, the immortal ideas of divine Mind. Once more the revelator's message quickens the churches, while it rebukes error, and thus we learn that every blessing — the "hidden manna," the "tree of life," the "white stone" — is promised to "him that overcometh," who meets and masters every temptation of the "powers of darkness" by active and intelligent use of the Science he knows. Though his present performance may be slight, he may take to himself the sweet promise of that never ending unfoldment of good contained in the message to one of the Asian churches, "I will give him the morning star," — the joy of witnessing the dawn of the new era when Christian Science is being recognized for what it is, namely, the reign and rule of Life, Truth, and Love, even as in the beginning, "when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy."

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"Absolute Christian Science"

February 5, 1916

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