THERE is in mortal consciousness a belief of fear, hence the cheering and heartening ring of the angelic message at the birth of Jesus: '"Fear not; for," behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord" Then came that wondrous burst of song from the heavenly host, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." As interpreted through Christian Science, these messages of love from the heavenly Father read: Fear not, a better day is at hand. There is no hate, no discord, no fear, for God, the infinite good, is omnipresent; His manifestations are everywhere. God is Love; therefore man, His idea, must be loving. There is infinite, eternal harmony; God in Christ has come to dwell with men. "Of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever."
The birth of divine Love in the consciousness of man thus marks the true Christmas day,—the coming of the dayspring which is "to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." It is worth while to ponder these things, for if we trust divine Love, it is certain we are of those who "hunger and thirst after righteousness," and that we shall be filled: and if we are filled with right thoughts, with love, it follows of necessity that our lives must have a marked effect in bringing peace and harmony into our surroundings.
When in Christian Science we first recognize Truth, when to our joyful consciousness is first revealed the Christ-idea, the real self, which is a son of God, a son of the Highest, we look upon it as the birth of a new idea; we term it the new birth, and on that day it is certain that unto us has been born a Saviour. In absolute Science there cannot be a birth of a new idea; for God is infinite Mind, and everything that exists must exist in that Mind, which always was and always will be; therefore His ideas are from everlasting to everlasting. In our human sense, however, it is not incorrect to refer to our new life in Christian Science as the birth of a new idea.
