FOR the comprehension of Christian Science, especially its practice, one of the most important subjects to be understood is action. This subject, moreover, is closely connected with two other topics of perhaps equal importance—power and law—and must be understood in relation to them. All three of these subjects are qualities of Mind, products of Principle, through which Principle imparts and maintains the characteristics, the capacities, and the continuity of man.
The correlation of action, power, and law is indicated by definitions in reference works. Thus, two meanings of "action" in the Practical Standard Dictionary are "the putting forth or exerting of power" and "the manner or mode of the exertion of power." In more than one dictionary and encyclopedia, "power" is defined as "ability to act; ability to do or perform something," while "law" is defined as "a rule of action."
Naturally, the first fact about real or spiritual action is that it is the exertion of divine power. God, divine Mind, is ever active and is the source of all action. There are many aspects of divine action—more than anybody ever has listed—but the most comprehensive action that can be listed is called "creation." In Mrs. Eddy's most definitive statement about creation (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, pp. 502, 503), she refers to God as the "creative Principle" and declares that "creation consists of the unfolding of spiritual ideas and their identities, which are embraced in the infinite Mind and forever reflected." Here is action described in its largest aspect, action which never began and never can end.
