FOR THOSE WHO LIVE NEAR THE COAST, fog is a common occurrence. When the mist rolls in, sometimes it's so thick you can't even see across the street. Familiar landmarks such as light posts, fences, passing cars are obliterated. Obliterated—or just hidden from view? Of course the fog doesn't change the landscape or wipe it out—it just obscures it.
The nature of fog has been a helpful metaphor in my experience as a Christian Scientist. Often when I'm praying about a problem, I feel that I can't quite get clarity. I'll ask, What is going on here? What is the truth, the reality, the way God sees this situation—this "landscape"? And then come the questions: Why can't I see more clearly? How can I get rid of the "fog" that obscures God's view?
Often we've allowed subtle inaccuracies to creep into our thought that weigh unknowingly against healing. This is the fog of limited sight—we're not seeing through the fog, but letting it obscure our view. If we include latent errors in the metaphysical basis of our prayers, our vision will continue to be fuzzy. As Mary Baker Eddy pointed out, "... an error in the premise must appear in the conclusion" (Science and Health, p. 167). How do we know if and when our premise is false? If we feel uncertain, or sense a lack of crystal-clear clarity when we pray, we can take that as a clue that we've inadvertently let some error into our thinking.
