IN Christian Science, progress means the utilization of the spiritual understanding of God's allness in the overcoming of sin, disease, discord, poverty, hatred, deceit, sorrow —all evil. Such scientific growth and development is the awakening out of the Adam-dream—the belief of life in matter. Human consciousness may well be astonished at the mental vista afforded by an understanding of the things of Spirit!
This awakening is a progressive process, not always pleasant to human sense, but conducive to strength, courage, love, and further spiritual growth. Often it is "with fear and trembling" that the old, the finite, the ephemeral and erroneous, are laid off. As all things become new, clothed in the habiliments of spiritual harmony, gratitude and joy supernal make their appearance. The liberty of Spirit is made manifest. This awakening is like a continuous dawn, a perennial refreshment, a constant revelation. It is the result of the spiritualization of thought and the evangelization of the human selfhood —step by step, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little. Thus thought learns to walk with God, seeing good, thinking good, voicing good, demonstrating divine Love in all the daily problems.
The individual who has begun the search for spiritual things, through the channels afforded by the Bible and by "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" and the other writings of Mrs. Eddy, has begun to progress out of the Adam-dream into the kingdom of heaven on earth. He has begun to learn how to demonstrate his ability to reflect divine power by overcoming the age-old belief in a power other than God, good.
