Light through the Windowpane

[Of Special Interest to Children]

EDNA B. WILLIAMS

There are many lovely things to tell you about a windowpane. One is that it lets in the light. The sun shines upon the walls of our houses, but only through the windowpane can the dancing sunbeams find entrance into a room and drive away the shadows. Another lovely thing is that while the glass lets in the sunshine, it at the same time excludes the cold and also the noises of the street.

The most satisfactory windowpane is that one which, because it is clean and unblemished, is hardly noticed at all, but one is aware only of a flood of warm sunlight. Of course, the windowpane cannot of itself dispel darkness or warm a room; only the light and sunshine can do this. The windowpane, however, has the very important part of admitting that which can light up the dark places and bring warmth and comfort to those within the home.

Christian Science teaches that God, good, is everywhere present, forever expressing His goodness and His love. On page 473 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mary Baker Eddy has written, "God is everywhere, and nothing apart from Him is present or has power." This ever-present God is the creator of every living thing, and He is the source of all beautiful spiritual qualities, such as intelligence, love, joy, kindness, and so on.

We are taught that everything which the loving Father has created possesses and reflects in some degree His qualities, even as each ray of the sun shows forth the light. The human consciousness may be likened to a windowpane. Clean, pure, loving thoughts are a transparency for the light of Truth to shine through, but the errors of selfishness, hate, unkindness, and other unlovely thoughts darken and cloud consciousness, tending to shut out the light of Truth, even as a soiled or imperfect windowpane shuts out the sun.

Why do most people love little children? Is it not because of their innocence, love, faith, and trustfulness? Jesus loved them, and he said, referring to them, "Of such is the kingdom of heaven." Our Leader, too, loved little children and highly valued the true qualities they so naturally express. On page 110 of her book "Miscellaneous Writings," she says: "Beloved children, the world has need of you,—and more as children than as men and women: it needs your innocence, unselfishness, faithful affection, uncontaminated lives." It is a joy to know that these lovable child qualities, so greatly needed in the world, may be preserved as we grow into manhood and womanhood; indeed, they can never be lost, for they have their source in God, divine Mind, and must be forever expressed.

It is Christ, Truth, which alone has the power to destroy the false beliefs of sickness and other errors, even as light is required to dispel darkness; but every little child may have a part in reflecting the sunshine of Truth. Each may make of his human consciousness a pure, clear windowpane for the light of Truth to pass through and light up the dark places of earth. In order to do this we must guard our thoughts very carefully so as to admit only that which is good and true. We know that the snow may drift against the windowpane, the rain and the wind beat upon it, but it is only when the window is left open that these elements find entrance and cause discomfort. So, too, the little imps of anger, unkindness, fear, impurity, and the like have no power of their own to force an entrance. It is only as the window of our thought is left open and unguarded that they can get in and cause discord.

God has given to each one of His children the power to think true thoughts and to act rightly. So the work of guarding our thought need not be a hard task by any means; rather it can be made a happy, joyous one. As one little child said, "It is just saying 'no' to error and 'yes' to truth."

Sometimes sunbeams shining upon a mirror or some other clear surface are reflected back in beautiful bars of light. So loving, truthful thoughts which are sent out to bless others continue to bless.

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Would You Be a Practitioner?

September 30, 1944

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