WHEN an individual goes to a musician, a teacher of music, and seems to manifest many erroneous notions concerning music, the teacher is not at all alarmed at this sense of discord, but immediately begins to separate the errors from the pupil. He does this, not by holding fast to the discord, but by turning the thought of the pupil to the harmony of music. In fact, during the whole experience the teacher is not troubled by the discord, but constantly and persistently turns the pupil's thought toward concord. Similarly, when a person goes to a Christian Science practitioner with a consciousness filled with lack, sin, and disease,— the discords of the world, —the practitioner at once begins to impart an understanding, not of the error, but of God, man, and the universe, knowing that this will uplift thought to the perception of the truth of being, where harmony prevails.
In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy says (p. 304): "To be master of chords and discords, the science of music must be understood. Left to the decisions of material sense, music is liable to be misapprehended and lost in confusion. Controlled by belief, instead of understanding, music is, must be, imperfectly expressed." She then goes on to say, "So man, not understanding the Science of being,— thrusting aside his divine Principle as incomprehensible,— is abandoned to conjectures, left in the hands of ignorance, placed at the disposal of illusions, subjected to material sense which is discord." In the vision given him on the Isle of Patmos, the Revelator foresaw the coming into consciousness of the understanding which should heal all discordant conditions, and bring harmony to earth. "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
Many persons desire to become musicians, but when they begin to see what is demanded of them to reach and demonstrate, in a measure, the beauty of music, they are apt to fall away, robbing themselves of the wonderful opportunity to express and enjoy it. In like manner, many may desire holiness, and freedom from the discords of the world; but when they begin to see the demands of Jesus, "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: . . . and if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee,"— which means that one must be willing to cast off the most cherished beliefs,— they are apt to turn back, so depriving themselves of an opportunity of enjoying and demonstrating health, holiness, and life eternal.
