You and I are about to see a new film.

The lights dim, and our attention is focused on the screen. The story begins.

Soon we are lost in a make-believe world. As the characterizations take hold, we form opinions about the people—good, bad, comic, tragic. Then the troubles of the dramatic characters lead to violence, and suddenly I realize that we are not as happy as we were when we entered the theater. I glance over at you; I notice a hint of tears, so I nudge you and say, "Remember, this isn't really happening; it's only a movie!"

And you reply, "Why do they treat each other so badly? It's all so tragic!"

And again I say, "It's not happening! There's only a group of actors playing roles and saying lines they were instructed to say."

The film is over.

As we file out, we realize it was a powerful show and maybe there's something to learn from what we've seen.

Through expert artistic techniques of writing, acting, directing, sound, and music we had been whisked into a different world. The ups and downs and weaknesses of the people on the screen had become so real to us that we had suffered right along with them. We didn't want to have the spell broken either. But it's interesting that we no longer suffered when we stopped to realize what was really going on. And we enjoyed the movie more when our perspective returned.

Isn't there a parallel here to applying the teachings of Christian Science?

Fundamentally, Christian Scientists accept the version of creation related in the first chapter of Genesis. This chapter establishes perfect God as the creator of perfect man and perfect universe. Man is shown to be utterly at one with God as His actual expression. Scientists further accept that the second chapter of Genesis (beginning with verse 6) presents an opposite view: an imperfect creation based on matter. Because mankind has been involved in the opposing picture for so many hundreds of centuries, the misconception is generally considered the real, just as the movie seemed real to us.

But it isn't actually happening. And an understanding of what's really going on in God's universe nullifies belief in what is not really going on. The Bible tells of prophets who saw through the false picture and were able to demonstrate their clearer view with what looked like fantastic miracles to those befogged in the mortal scene. And Christ Jesus is the prime example of those who understand the fallacy of the incorrect view and the actuality of man's oneness with God. He proved this with his healing works, even to his resurrection and ascension. Mrs. Eddy has given us the rules so that we too can establish our freedom from the would-be-real mortal experience. She knew Jesus' method in healing was rooted in his understanding of spiritual reality. He saw through the false picture to the actual perfect creation. As we wake up to the truth, we'll stop suffering the vagaries of the counterfeit.

And so it is with all aspects of health, life, relationship. The material picture is never reliable. Mrs. Eddy's explanation is: "The testimony of material sense in relation to existence is false; for matter can neither see, hear, nor feel, and mortal mind must change all its conceptions of life, substance, and intelligence, before it can reach the immortality of Mind and its ideas." ^{Miscellaneous Writings, p. 218;}

Perhaps a diseased condition appears to be present. Not true. Mrs. Eddy explains, "There is no disease." ^{Science and Health, p. 421.} It's like the movie. No matter how real the conditions of that movie looked to us, off the screen they were never going on.

Sometimes we have to hold tight with everything we've got and demand the true view for ourselves. But we can do it! We have the Bible and Mrs. Eddy's writings to help us; we have the publications of The Christian Science Publishing Society; and, when we need additional aid, we have dedicated Christian Science practitioners ready to help us wake up to the real view.

If we are in the middle of a business or legal situation that seems unfair, the same point applies. No matter how bad, how deplorable this seems to be, it's a lie about the truth that is revealed in the first chapter of Genesis (perfect God expressed by perfect man in a perfect universe). Understanding the true picture is like going to a higher authority—a higher court—because it's really going to God. What a relief to be able to do this at any time! We can always see God's infallible law of truth functioning in what may appear to be a difficult human situation. And just as you and I walked out of the theater, we can leave behind belief in error and insist on the naturalness of spiritual harmony, which appears as a better, happier, healthier life.

It takes spiritual vision to discern the truth, and integrity to conform to the implications of God's allness and the demands of His law of universal good. It often takes persistence to establish the facts of perfect being; in our consciousness—but it works!