A few years ago holograms, or "magigrams," were popular, at least in our family! If you aren't familiar with them, they're pictures that first appear to be two-dimensional, but within the picture (a design or landscape, for instance) emerges a "hidden" three-dimensional image. The eye has to pierce through the obvious picture, refocus and concentrate, in order to extract a subtler image. It was a fun family activity for a while, but eventually we lost interest in discovering a snarling tiger in what initially appeared to be a picture of leafy trees.

There is another kind of discovery that keeps our interest, though, and it's the ongoing desire to see God better. This, too, requires a shift in focus and a consecrated effort to look beyond appearances, namely, that everything is material, to a deeper truth—that all reality is actually spiritual and entirely good.

Mary Baker Eddy discovered the great truth and usefulness of this view, and named her discovery Christian Science. After years of studying Jesus' mission of healing as recorded in the Bible's New Testament, she concluded that his healing work could be learned and repeated. She discovered how the work was done, and wrote Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, which explicitly teaches how to practically follow him, imitating his healing method. She stated to the reader fairly early on in her book: "Like our Master, we must depart from material sense into the spiritual sense of being" (p. 41). A little later she offered this instruction: "We must look deep into realism instead of accepting only the outward sense of things" (p. 129).

Clearly, Christ Jesus held a unique and particular place in God's plan, as the Son of God, the Messiah. At the same time, his role as Way-shower hands off to all his followers the opportunity to carry the message of God's healing love everywhere and to everyone. The promise of God's care, our deliverance from sin and sickness, is not an idle, far-off hope, but a real Science—precise and provable.

Christ Jesus showed us what to do, through his healing work, and how to do it, through the example of his life. Mary Baker Eddy held a sort of mental microscope, a spiritual lens, to his work and life that magnifies and articulates them.

Mrs. Eddy said to one of her students, "Humility is the door, honesty the way, and spirituality the summit" (We Knew Mary Baker Eddy, Boston, The Christian Science Publishing Society, 1979, p. 113). Elsewhere she explained that the quality of humility is "the genius of Christian Science," and that it is "lens and prism the understanding of Mind-healing; it must be had to understand our textbook [Science and Health]; it is indispensable to personal growth, and points out the chart of its divine Principle and rule of practice" (Miscellaneous Writings 1883–1896, p. 356).

From my own observations of Jesus' life, two episodes stand out as poignant illustrations of his humility. One is just before his crucifixion. After supper, with little remaining time to teach them, he chose, as one of the last lessons, to wash the disciples' feet. Endeavoring to show the great need to love and serve one another—to forget self—he, as Master, performed this lowly task.

The other episode was the walk to his crucifixion. In order to walk to that ordeal, he had to be in complete compliance with the Father's plan. He had to look way beyond the apparent circumstance in which his life's mission looked like an utter failure, to a greater purpose.

True, these highlights showcase unequalled humility, but actually every healing he performed and every lesson he taught remain valuable examples of humility.

Humility relinquishes material sense (no matter what it reports), and simultaneously yields to spiritual sense (what God knows). God's view of His creation is one of unalterable good. After all, He created us in His own image, to be like Him. Jesus knew this. This God-view was prevalent every moment of his mission.

This Christly humility does not leave us out. The demand on Jesus was great, but it is not too hard for us to imitate by degrees in our lives. Starting in small ways in everyday life and being alert not to let opportunities for utilizing this Christian virtue slip by, we grow in grace.

Here are some things humility does:

• Enables us to give up the perspective of the little ego (the "me" viewpoint) for the divine outlooks, divine Mind's view.

• Loosens the grip on personal opinions, inviting a more expansive, inclusive sense of things to take hold.

• Allows us to discount medical opinions and yield to spiritual understanding to supply the truth about health.

• Frees us from attributing wrong or selfish motives to others.

• Excludes gossip, speculation about the actions of others, heated feelings, and hurt feelings.

• Helps us safely surrender to faith, calm, and resolute trust in the will of God, who knows all and loves all unconditionally and abundantly.

• Enables us to resign from tasks—even those we may feel suit us—for a diviner plan, perhaps unknown to us.

• Strengthens us to tackle tasks we might feel unworthy of accepting.

In a phrase, humility eases us out of what we think we think on any issue. Meekly, we are open to what Mind, God, knows.

It's not always easy to do this. Giving up personal views may at times feel like a heavy cross, but the result of following Christ in this way brings the promised blessing of increased spiritual mindedness.

Once I was very ill for several months. I prayed often, but I complained too. The suffering seemed relentless. One day, I thought I'd prayed every prayer I had ever known, many times, and was not helped. On my bed I called out, "God tell me what to do, tell me what to know!" I'm not sure I expected an answer, but I got one. "Worship Me" was the clear answer that followed a brief silence.

I had to stop believing the material senses, no matter how obvious the evidence appeared. I needed to look deeper into spiritual reality, and stay with God. I needed to be humble, not desperate, and bow only to God, who knew nothing of this condition or the apparent struggle.

I brightened up and became more alert. I voiced the truth according to God more often, with more hope, then with more conviction. One day I read this phrase in the Christian Science Hymnal: "Wide as our need Thy favors fall" (John Greenleaf Whittier, No. 229). Those words captured the limitless, absolute kindness of God. There isn't a need that outweighs or diminishes God's goodness and power. I glimpsed something of the allness of God, something beyond appearances. It was impossible to feel despondent or as fearful any longer.

Gradually, I was able to do more, and depend on others' help less, though still grateful for it. I leaned on God, looked to God, and was able to see normalcy return.

Through this lens of humility, which we all have, we can look beyond pictures of disease and disorder, to the spiritual dimension where all is in order. Once seen, that dimension is ours to live and enjoy. css