Christian Science shows how each one of us may see and experience beauty and loveliness in his life through spiritual, not material, means. It teaches that beauty is not to be sought in matter and material conditions, for these are unreal, since God, Soul, is All, and in His infinite radiancy is found the fullness of perfection reflected. Spirituality, not materiality, is the way to true fulfillment. Spirituality does not mean bleakness, but completeness, and in turning from the illusions of material sense to the facts of Soul we gain instead of lose, and experience redemption, not deprivation.

The lives of those who give up a false material sense of existence and accept God, Soul, as their Life, are not arid, but joyful and productive, for Soul sheds on all the radiance of beauty and immortality and imparts to all the glory of spiritual being. The whole vast creation of Soul is perfect and reflects imperishable divine beauty. Nothing can mar this loveliness, for there is no power but divine Love, and consequently nothing exists which is capable of hurting or destroying what God has created.

Color is an attribute of Soul, and its divine hues brighten the whole universe. The infinite colors of Soul are unfading and imperishable, and nothing can dim their beauty or dull their hues, for God is their source. There can be no dinginess in the creations of God, which never lose their freshness and fairness. Is not the description in the book of Revelation of the great city, holy Jerusalem, a symbolic portrayal of the spiritual beauty and loveliness of the perfect divine consciousness? In part the city is described as "having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal" (Rev. 21:11).

A perfect God could never create ugliness. Perfect Mind must express itself in perfect ideas, and the formations of Soul must be harmonious and symmetrical. All identities are found in Soul and are its unchanging reflection. Then what of the apparent ugliness, deformity, and decadence that would seem to present themselves so constantly? Christian Science teaches that since they are not Soul's formations— since they are not created by God —they are not real, but have only a supposititious existence as illusions of the so-called physical senses. Their illusory nature is uncovered and destroyed by the facts of Soul. In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mary Baker Eddy writes (pp. 243, 244): "Inasmuch as God is good and the fount of all being, He does not produce moral or physical deformity; therefore such deformity is not real, but is illusion, the mirage of error. Divine Science reveals these grand facts. On their basis Jesus demonstrated Life, never fearing nor obeying error in any form."

Since Soul is God, there is but one Soul, and Soul's reflection is man and the universe. From the human standpoint we have to claim this divine Soul as ours and reflect it more and more in our experience. Constant and consecrated effort to purify and spiritualize thought, expressed in holy thinking and clean living, is needed.

As we perceive more clearly through spiritual sense that God is our Soul, and so reflect more fully the beauty of holiness, we shall be increasingly aware of infinite beauty all around us. The earth of which we are conscious will become to us more lovely as spiritual sense develops. We shall become more aware of variations of light, shades of color, the grandeur of mountains, the brilliance of water, the beauty of trees, the loveliness of flowers, as our understanding of Soul increases. Mrs. Eddy says in Science and Health (p. 264), "As mortals gain more correct views of God and man, multitudinous objects of creation, which before were invisible, will become visible." Then we can echo with greater understanding her words in "Miscellaneous Writings" about the beauties of the sensuous universe and say with her (p. 87), "I love your promise; and shall know, some time, the spiritual reality and substance of form, light, and color, of what I now through you discern dimly; and knowing this, I shall be satisfied."

Infinite spiritual beauty lies all around us. We do not, as it were, have to make the universe more beautiful so much as to express more of Soul and in this radiation become more aware of the real beauty that exists. We do not, primarily, have to make matter beautiful. Matter, however beautiful it may seem to the material senses, is always an erroneous concept and is apart from real beauty. The rich color of the rose is not in that material object. Its exquisite fragrance, its graceful form, the depth of its loveliness, reside in Mind, not in matter, and only as we claim and accept this Mind, Soul, as ours do we begin to perceive the real beauty that is the radiance of divine Soul. To one mortal, whose Soul-sense is undeveloped, the rose has no appeal. To another mortal, whose greater spirituality is allowing him to reflect Soul more fully, the rose is overwhelmingly beautiful. All beauty and loveliness is in God, the Soul of man, never in matter.

The beauty of Soul is eternal. The radiance of divine Soul is immortal loveliness, never aging, never decaying, but forever unfolding in new and higher views of spiritual splendor and divine magnificence. As we spiritualize our thought our increasing purity will radiate to all around us. The golden glory which the sun pours upon all earth's splendors symbolizes the government of Soul. Soul sheds upon all it views its radiance of loveliness.

In this sublime light our sense of enemies, like all ugly thoughts, disappears, while upon our friends a greater halo of loveliness appears. As we radiate the beauty of Soul our home takes on an increasing charm and graciousness, and we no longer permit the shadows of shabbiness and deterioration to linger. In the radiance of Soul's beauty our churches glow with a clearer light, gleam with an increased freshness, are enriched with a warmer color.

Constantly striving to spiritualize thought and to realize man's relationship to God, we see more and more clearly the glorious radiance of Soul, its eternal beauty and majesty, its unbroken light and loveliness, reflected in resplendent color and exquisite form. Then the peace and gentleness of Soul will show themselves in the softness of our facial expression; the joy and happiness of Soul will gleam through our smiles and the tones of our voices; the grace and elegance of Soul will find expression in the refinement and comeliness of our dress and appearance; the sweetness and purity of Soul will be visible in the courtesy and graciousness of our behavior.

Who better expressed the beauty of Soul than Christ Jesus? His healing works, his gentleness, his unfailing strength, his courtesy, the beauty and grace of his words, were the radiance of Soul, God. One who knew our beloved Leader wrote of her (We Knew Mary Baker Eddy, Second Series, pp. 14, 15): "The word 'transparency' seems best to express my remembrance of Mrs. Eddy's personal appearance.... She characterized divine loveliness in these moments of supernal freshness.... I count it a blessed experience to have seen this radiancy of Soul, this glory of immortality untouched by time."

In the endeavor to realize more of this radiancy of Soul we may pray with greater understanding in the words of the Psalmist (Ps. 90: 16, 17): "Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us."