Sometimes people may feel they've come to a roadblock in their understanding and proving of Christian Science. Some people, too, may believe that Christian Science is a spent force or that humanity's general development in natural science, technology, medicine, has rendered it rather out of date. Christian Science is the evidence of immortal Truth expressing itself to mankind in the most direct, efficient, understandable way. It is never, then, Christian Science that is spent. But perhaps our spiritual sense has been neglected, or maybe it has never really been cultivated. In such a case we need a substantial change of base. Mary Baker Eddy points out, "To develop the full might of this Science, the discords of corporeal sense must yield to the harmony of spiritual sense, even as the science of music corrects false tones and gives sweet concord to sound." ^{Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. viii;}

To continue along the road of spiritual growth we need to continuingly check our standpoint. Are we letting ourselves be waylaid by the supposed "discords of corporeal sense"? Are we yielding to "the harmony of spiritual sense" or fighting off spiritual sense because we believe its demands are too hard? We battle less—and demonstrate Science more—as we cultivate spiritual sense and listen to what it tells us of Spirit, rather than think we're mortals encased in matter and faced with an awesome struggle to get out.

What is spiritual sense? Mrs. Eddy gives us this succinct statement: "Spiritual sense is a conscious, constant capacity to understand God." ^{ibid., p. 209;}

At the heart of our spiritual sense is Spirit's consciousness of itself, and spiritual sense is therefore universal. It's available to all of us, just as Spirit is. Spiritual sense does not arise in matter, in the human brain, or in mortal thought. Mortal thought, in fact, claims birth illegitimately in the belief that Spirit, God, does not really exist, and that all is matter and material. Christian Science teaches us how to enjoy spiritual sense, which enables us to heal. And to be healed.

Most of us know at least some people who are particularly spiritually-minded. And we may well know some people who appear to be rather at the other end of the spectrum. Mrs. Eddy makes a graphic comparison between Christ Jesus and the materialists about him. She writes in Science and Health: "From early boyhood he was about his 'Father's business.' His pursuits lay far apart from theirs. His master was Spirit; their master was matter. He served God; they served mammon. His affections were pure; theirs were carnal. His senses drank in the spiritual evidence of health, holiness, and life; their senses testified oppositely, and absorbed the material evidence of sin, sickness, and death." ^{ibid., p. 52;}

Which camp would we prefer to be in—that of those who exercise spiritual sense, or that of the materialists? The answer, for most people, is obvious: the former.

Human thought alone is not equipped to put us on the side of spirituality. But human reasoning can yield to divine consciousness, which by its very nature does have the "conscious, constant capacity to understand God." Through Christian humility and metaphysical understanding, human reasoning progressively cedes ground to spiritual sense.

A vital metaphysical point in nourishing our spiritual sense is the realization that the very infinitude of Spirit leaves no place for a platform somewhere outside Spirit from which to view Spirit. It's our humble admission of the very presence of Spirit that feeds and extends our spiritual sense. The reasoning that starts out with matter, finity, ignorance, as its premises will have a hard time finding spiritual sense. But in the measure that our thinking takes another course—adopts the fresh, spiritual standpoint of acknowledging the presence of Spirit—in that measure it gives place to spiritual sense.

Spiritual sense is natural. Material sense and what it conveys to us are grotesquely unnatural. Neither the Principle nor the proof of divine reality can be perceived by unyielding material sense. If we're momentarily disappointed by our ability to demonstrate Science, maybe we need to check the "instrument" we are using, to detect its effectiveness. Paul explains, "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." ^{I Cor. 2:14.}

Material sense will always be more than reluctant to admit the actuality of anything that undermines its own claims to validity. It's exercising spiritual sense that reveals to us both the Principle and the demonstration of Science. Nothing quickens more our demonstration of Christian Science in healing than the quickening of our spiritual sense. Human thought sees the proof of Science in the healing of disease and the triumphing over evil. Going further, pure spiritual sense acknowledges that Spirit has never been absent for a moment, anywhere.

And to see this is to begin developing the full might of divine Science.

Geoffrey J. Barratt