A Quantity of potatoes was stored in a dark cellar. Some were still unused when spring's loving touch set free the imprisoned beliefs of winter. Under this actinic touch one of the potatoes sprouted and sent out a tendril feeling for the light. It lay near the thick foundation wall of the house, and in its hunger and thirst for light, this delicate but persistent tendril pressed its way through the small crevices in the thick foundation wall until it joyously hailed and drank in the sunlight. Here joy and gratitude broke out in bud and bloom. What a lesson for "man, proud man"!
From this meek manifestation of light-loving activity, may we not learn patience, steadfastness, humility, and gratitude? And may we not also learn from its symbolism that the entire universal creation lives by and in the eternal, omnipresent, creative Mind, which includes all light? Indeed, we are not going too far, and are in no degree fanciful, when we perceive in this lowly incident a commentary upon and an illustration and proof of Paul's inspired prophecy, "Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." Creation itself shall emerge from our misty material beliefs about it into the resplendent, eternal light of spiritual reality. Then, assuredly, we shall understand and appreciate more fully that won-drously profound, scientific statement of our inspired Leader, given in our textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 468): "All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation."
John declares that "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." When this expression of infinite Truth is in some degree apprehended by us, we shall no longer be mystified by the hunger and thirst of all creation for light. Shall we not then see it as the constant craving of the creature for the creator? The Psalmist's song and Paul's stately prose will then be understood as correlatives illumining each other. God is omnipresent. The light of spiritual understanding is, therefore, universal and never absent. Only in our blindness, our ignorance and fear, our puerile false beliefs, is creation submerged in darkness and mystery. It is, as Isaiah tells us, our wrong thinking, our superstition, our self-will,—these alone,—which set up seemingly insurmountable barriers, and open apparently impassable gulfs between God and us, and between the vision of spiritual creation and our self-blinded eyes. It is these false beliefs and their progeny of fears and follies that raise the almost impenetrable mists of human opinion and speculation which shut out the light of Truth and shroud creation in Cimmerian gloom.
Where, then, is the way of escape out of this "gross darkness"? There must be a way, since "God is light." Every patriarch and every prophet sought this way; and they all were assured of its ultimate and unmistakable manifestation in the Messiah, the Christ. Accordingly, in the fullness of time and in the fulfillment of prophecy, Christ Jesus declared, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me;" and he also assured his believers, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." In this way alone may we emerge from the darkness of ignorance, superstition, and fear into the light of the truth concerning God, man, and the universe; and, as we emerge, also find all creation with us in the effulgence of resplendent reality. Through this way we shall ascend hopefully and joyously "from strength to strength," from belief to faith, from faith to understanding and demonstration, until the light of eternal harmony dawns and reigns supreme.
Since to continue in the word of the Way-shower is the only way out of the darkness and bondage of error into the light and freedom of Truth, is not the question vital, How shall we continue in his word? He himself answered this question when he referred his hearers to the searching of the Scriptures, and declared that these testified of the Christ; but this search of the Scriptures must be rightly guided, else it is of little or no avail. Did he not rebuke the studious Pharisees, "Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures"? They who spent their lives studying and teaching the Scriptures were yet convicted by him of not knowing them,—that is, not understanding them.
Manifestly, then, our search of the Scriptures for the knowledge of God and His Christ should not be merely intellectual and scholarly, critical and cold; but meek, humble, childlike, spiritual, patiently waiting for the light of divine Mind to illumine the page and bring the word to life. It was in this manner that Jesus opened the Scriptures to the two disciples as they walked to Emmaus, and thus indicated to all succeeding disciples that Christ, Truth, must always be the sole interpreter. He said to his disciples, "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." It is, therefore, beyond peradventure or doubt that his interpretation of the Scriptures is spiritual, not merely scholarly, or intellectual, or material. To continue in his word, and become his disciples indeed, is obviously to search for and study the spiritual meaning of the sacred Word. We may, therefore, rest assured that our revered Leader had attained to a clear comprehension of Jesus' method of Scriptural interpretation when she wrote this incisive, awakening sentence (Science and Health, p. 241): "Take away the spiritual signification of Scripture, and that compilation can do no more for mortals than can moonbeams to melt a river of ice."
Through such clear statements as the foregoing, Christian Scientists are aided in their study of the Scriptures rightly to divide the Word of Truth. In addition to the textbook they have the priceless Lesson-Sermons, instituted by the inspired wisdom and foresight of their consecrated Leader. Equipped with these aids, the Christian Scientist finds that the faithful daily study of the Scriptures leads him out of the darkness of material sense into the clear, unfading light of spiritual understanding. No one may measure, none can limit, the blessing and the joy of this study; nor may any student fall short of grateful appreciation of the inspired work of the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, in making this study not only fruitful, but joyous and light.
But while we cannot be too grateful for the Lesson-Sermons, and while we may not neglect their daily study, we ought not to rest satisfied with this study alone. There is grave danger in settling down smugly into the belief that "doing the Lesson" is all that is needed in the way of daily reading and study. There is danger that the perfunctory reading of the Lesson-Sermon may degenerate into routine; and routine eventually spells formalism. Custom may easily find ease and comfort in the stagnancy of ritualism. But if we are awaking to the love of the Scriptures which comes with the fuller and clearer understanding of these sacred writings, which our textbook unfailingly supplies, it will be no task to read and study them systematically and daily. To follow up the outcroppings of the Lesson-Sermons, and to study all passages of Scripture which may throw added sidelights upon them, would be one way of enlarging our daily study pleasurably and profitably. Every Christian Scientist should be able joyously to exclaim with the Psalmist, "O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day." Then he will also be able to declare with the full assurance of spiritual understanding, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."
