This past semester in college, I took my first music class. I felt intimidated and out of my element as I sat with music majors who immediately recognized and connected with the terminology that was being used. Though the class was fun and I enjoyed the material, the atmosphere made me unsure of myself.
A few weeks into the semester, I decided to turn to God in prayer for guidance on how to move forward. This inspired me to approach music from a spiritual perspective. I searched JSH-Online and explored articles from the Christian Science Sentinel on this topic. One in particular, “What Is Pleasure?” (Mary C. Francis, May 9, 1908), was helpful. It framed Christian Science not only from a musical perspective, but it also showed how its rules can be applied to other forms of art, and can enrich our view of art’s beauty. It also referred to another article, “Christian Science from a Musician’s Standpoint” [published in the Sentinel of August 17, 1907], and states, “In one sense, in its last analysis, Christian Science is music, and has been ever since the morning stars sang together. It is literally the ‘music of the spheres’ … .”
This way of thinking about Christian Science was a revelation, and marked a turning point in my thinking about the music class. It stuck with me throughout the semester. I began to realize that the concepts of Christian Science, such as establishing harmony and correcting discord, could be applied to my music class. Several quotes from Mary Baker Eddy’s Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures also refreshed my perspective. Here’s one that stood out: “An ill-attuned ear calls discord harmony, not appreciating concord. So physical sense, not discerning the true happiness of being, places it on a false basis. Science will correct the discord, and teach us life’s sweeter harmonies” (p. 60).
