AS usually considered, "vision" relates to the material sense of sight, to the effect produced by light on the eye. The metaphysical definition of vision implies a far deeper and more comprehensive meaning than that belonging to material sense testimony. In this aspect vision has to do with ideals or thought-models, with spiritual perception, spiritual understanding; as for example when the word is used in the twenty-ninth chapter of Proverbs: "Where there is no vision, the people perish." Here the word is purely spiritual in its meaning. It declares the necessity for a state of elevated spiritual thought. It also implies that failure to think and act so as to bring about this ideal state invariably brings upon the nation, community, family, or individual blindness, ignorance, sin, loss, disaster, death.
In the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mary Baker Eddy writes (p. 248), "We must form perfect models in thought and look at them continually, or we shall never carve them out in grand and noble lives." Here is a wise and imperative declaration which points out the necessity of living the truth as we learn it in Christian Science, by constantly letting our light "so shine before men" that they may see our "good works," which are the fruits of living up to our ideal or vision.
The forming of perfect models in thought is the bringing forth of this ideal, and these thought-models must be ever before our spiritual or real vision. We must constantly and earnestly strive to perceive their beauty, loveliness, truth, power, and presence as able to replace all images of distorted material sense. A mental quality most necessary therefore, in keeping our vision aloft, is constancy; and this admirable and essential quality becomes effective and potent in the degree of our steadfastness of purpose, our love for the beautiful, good, and true, and our faith in, and the sincerity of our desire to reach, perfection.
