Mankind seems perpetually in need of reassurance. The timid child seeks his mother's protecting care. Erring youth craves forgiveness and renewed trust. Invaluable are the inspiring confidence and encouragement of teacher, employer, or friend, to one tormented by uncertainty, impatience, disappointment, or self-condemnation. Ugly suggestions of failure, poverty, sorrow, loss, decrepitude, and loneliness seem to await opportunity to insinuate themselves into unguarded human consciousness to destroy harmony. Can an effectual safeguard be raised against such intruders? Yes, it can.

The vital reminder, "Fear not!" permeates the Scriptures. Christian Science reiterates the same potent, compassionate promises of salvation from evil. In fact, Mrs. Eddy declares that its practice "begins with Christ's keynote of harmony, 'Be not afraid!'" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 410). Through its study one learns that evil intimations are but distorted figments of deceitful sense, without actuality, basis, consistency, or power of recurrence. The substitution of right ideas, evolved from infinite Mind, destroys false theories and heals discord of every kind.

A student of Christian Science, who was privileged to visit the Carlsbad caverns in New Mexico, descended by winding trails many hundred feet, and was awed by the grandeur of the surroundings, vividly accentuated by means of indirect lighting. Resting beside a massive stalagmite, the accertain of millions of years, she awaited with keen interest a promised moment of total darkness and taut silence, when all light would be extinguished and there would follow "a night without a star" (ibid., p. 564). As the pall of impenetrable blackness suddenly engulfed the place, material sense neither received nor conveyed a single identifying impression. All seemed to have been swallowed in an abysmal void. Tense, and somewhat confounded by the inability to take a single step, she would have found such obscuration terrifying, but for the comforting intelligence that all remained unchanged, and that in a moment effectual contact with the electric current would bring to light the loveliness which she had enjoyed before.

Through the ebon night floated men's voices, softly singing the loved hymn, "Rock of Ages." A filtering beam of light pierced the gloom. As the singers drew nearer the illumination increased until, as the melody ceased, the vaulted cavern was bathed in full radiance. With the passing of the astounding moment of obliteration, she saw majestic beauty all about her, felt the unyielding strength of the stalagmite against which she rested, and discerned well-defined paths leading out to safety and sunshine.

The incident held a deep spiritual significance for her, and she recalled times of mental confusion, panic, grief, and an unconquered sense of pain, when there had seemed no way of escape from error's thrall. When she had groped for divine Love, without which she knew she could do nothing, praying for wisdom and courage, sometimes the healing message had come with the remembrance of a line of some inspiring hymn, awakening spiritual perception and confidence. This caused her to realize that she was enfolded by omnipresent, all-loving Truth; that she could not be blinded by ignorance or fear; that she lived, moved, and had her existence in God, good. As the light of understanding gained entrance into her consciousness, healing came, and her heart sang a paean of gratitude, for she was able to find her way out of the pit of discouragement, better equipped to overcome for herself and others the besetting fear of the unknown, unseen, and unreal.

Jesus taught that the humblest prayer, rising from depths of despair, reaches the great heart of Love. He felt the hungering touch in the crowds about him, and responded by compassionately liberating the slaves of false beliefs, so that they rose upright, untrammeled, joyous, and free.

Mrs. Eddy was aware of the mental depths to which mortals descend through stress of temptation, ignorance, and fear. The depressing complexity of alarming material laws is unrelieved by contradictory, ineffectual, humanlyevolved panaceas. In such chasms of doubt the stout-hearted may quail at their apparent inability to emerge from the cavern of incurable disease—even the starless night of contemplated self-destruction.

In such dire extremity, the hopeless one may learn to rest undaunted against the ageless, invincible bulwark of Truth, which has sustained him in times past. Unintimidated by error's threats, he can rejoice that his false sense of self has been engulfed in oblivion, because he has in reality but one self, spiritual and perfect, reflecting God. He can eagerly listen for the "low sweet prelude" of angelic hope, coming faintly at first perhaps, but increasing as he persists in faithfully excluding all else from his consciousness, until he sees the loveliness of his surroundings, and realizes that he is always under the tender care of his heavenly Parent, one with Soul, free to go the upward way!

It was Mrs. Eddy's benign intention to reassure mankind as to the continuance and availability of the same spiritual healing which Jesus practiced. Unmoved by skepticism and scorn, she shared her revelation with the world, so simply that all may prove the supremacy of good over evil, Spirit over matter. She founded her church that she might impress humanity with the impartiality of divine law, operating in human affairs. Church services, Reading Rooms, authorized periodicals, and lectures, all provide definite assurance of God's willingness to banish foreboding, dissipate mystery, and enlighten humanity, as men place dependence on Him.

Every sincere testimony reassures some listener and brings him closer to infinite Love, inspiring him to escape from the blur of mortality through spiritual insight. Healing in Christian Science is realizable for all. Let us be as faithful as was the Shunammite woman and positively contend that "it is well," even in the face of disconcerting, erroneous belief. Seasoned students of Christian Science, like the beginner, need reassurance when facing new problems. May we not overlook any opportunity to reanimate others with courage and hope, reinforce and hearten them, helping them to make effectual application of Truth, so that they may rise above the density of mortal ignorance and behold the revelation of Spirit.

How understandingly our Leader has explained it (Science and Health, p. 69), "Spiritually to understand that there is but one creator, God, unfolds all creation, confirms the Scriptures, brings the sweet assurance of no parting, no pain, and of man deathless and perfect and eternal"!