Open the Window

[Original in German]

ERNA SCHUBERT

I was brought up by my mother in the spiritual understanding of God that Christian Science teaches. She always told me, "You don't need to be afraid of anything. Be loving to all, do the right thing. God is always with you." Thus as a young girl I was already established in my faith in God, good.

When trouble and annoyances came along, I simply would say to my mother, "Just open the window and good flies in." To me, opening the window meant opening my consciousness to the Christ, or Truth, to receive love, the blessing of God, good. In Matthew we read, "All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."^{Matt. 21:22;}

Shortly before the end of the Second World War, I experienced divine protection and blessing for myself and those around me by keeping my consciousness open and alert to the spiritual reality of being. During the invasion my mother and I were billeted in an air raid shelter. As another woman and I were being led away by an enemy officer and his adjutant, my mother said to me quite loudly and calmly, "Just go along, my child, God is there."

My thinking became wide awake to Spirit—I had immediately opened my "window." I knew instantly that Love, God, was with me, and with the so-called enemies, too. I remained quite calm and refused to see the soldiers as enemies. To me, they were my neighbors. Composed—indeed, even joyous—I went along with them. The other woman, too, remained trustingly quiet.

We were led into a strange apartment. The soldiers, who understood German, were surprised that I had no fear. They asked, "Aren't you afraid?"

"No," I said, "you are really kind." I felt divinely guided to tell them that I would first of all like to show them hospitality by acting as a hostess. They let me do as I wanted. While preparing food, bringing a washbasin to the two soldiers and others who joined them, and setting the table, I prayed constantly to God for protection. I wanted only to love the seeming enemies and to demonstrate this love to them.

The senior officer sat there deeply affected. The adjutant suddenly cried out, "You're a good woman. We won't do anything to you." Then the senior officer ordered everyone out. The adjutant brought the other woman and me back to the shelter unmolested. We had been given all the food in the apartment, so that we had enough to eat for days.

Later the senior officer became the commandant in our region and gave everyone in the neighborhood special protection. Here was proof of the blessing in the divine instruction, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you."^5:44;

In God's spiritual, real universe there are no enemies. And in the human realm enemies must first be seen and thought of as dangerous. In the spiritual universe, including man, God is the only Mind, and there is no room for hostile, false thinking. Mrs. Eddy writes, " 'Love thine enemies' is identical with 'Thou hast no enemies.' "^{Miscellaneous Writings, p. 9.}

Let us keep the window of our consciousness open to the spirit of Truth every moment. The breath of God, which gives us all life, will flow in.

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