THE inspired record of creation in the first chapter of Genesis abounds in metaphor, and it is essential that we discern the scientific truth as indicated there through the symbols of light and firmament. One regarding these as referring only to material phenomena would be left with that faulty, transitory concept of creation to which is traceable much of the atheism, confusion, sickness, and despair abroad in the world to-day. Mrs. Eddy was therefore divinely led to include in the Christian Science textbook a "Key to the Scriptures" which opens with a striking exegesis of part of the book of Genesis and deals with its many riddles. In bringing spiritual enlightenment to the human race Christian Science safeguards it from the manifold discords which are due to a mistaken view of creation.
In the first chapter we read, "And God said, Let there be a firmament," and also that "God called the firmament Heaven." What practical value had these passages for the average reader before Christian Science gave us their scientific meaning? On page 586 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy defines "Firmament" as "spiritual understanding; the scientific line of demarcation between Truth and error, between Spirit and so-called matter." Here we stand on the solid ground of spiritual understanding.
Drawing their clarity of thought from the firmament, spiritual understanding, Christian Scientists all over the world are learning to differentiate between the real and the unreal and so are solving their problems scientifically. When material arguments threaten to becloud a Christian Scientist's vision of Truth, he remembers the divine decrees, "Let there be a firmament," "Let there be light"! In other words, Let there be spiritual understanding. Thus the student of Christian Science is enabled to distinguish between the real and the unreal in human experience, and as he applies this distinction to his problem he will never be at a loss to know on which side of "the scientific line of demarcation between Truth and error" to place it.
