UNREALITY OF TIME

Thus run the words of Isaac Watts. Much of the limitation and inharmony one sees and experiences daily is traceable to belief in the reality and power of time. When the angel in Revelation said that "there should be time no longer," he could not have meant that time had once been real and powerful but would cease to be so, but must have meant that it had never been a reality, and that the truth about it dawned upon consciousness through spiritual vision.

It is significant to note that the "mighty angel" who declared that "there should be time no longer" was the same whom the Revelator had already depicted as having "had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth." In referring to this passage of Scripture, Mrs. Eddy says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 558), "This angel or message which comes from God, clothed with a cloud, prefigures divine Science." At the time this revelation of Truth was received the Revelator was a prisoner on the Isle of Patmos, banished there for having preached the word of God. It is reasonable to believe that in rising above the persecution which he underwent he had reached great spiritual heights, and had glimpsed the spiritual universe, wherein there is no lack, limitation, or materiality.

One may say that no false belief prevalent to-day engenders greater limitation and bondage than does that of time. It claims to be a governing factor in the activity of the whole world. On every side one hears of failure to accomplish desired good attributed to lack of time. Sometimes the Christian Scientist is troubled with the arguments that he does not have time enough to study, to attend church services, to serve in church offices, and so forth. In fact, one may hear the expression, "I am trying to demonstrate more time." Since time is a false belief and stands for limitation, one can readily see that it is not a more prolific gaining of time that one really needs and desires, but freedom from its bondage through clearer realization of its nothingness and a more demonstrable understanding of its counter fact. Two very enlightening words used by our Leader, which may be profitably considered as counter facts of the word "time," are "infinity" and "eternity." Both of these words express that which is without beginning or end.

But someone may say, All this reasoning seems very logical, but how is one to apply it in one's daily affairs? There are many demands to be met, and seemingly not enough time in which to meet them. One of the first steps in gaining dominion over the bondage of time is the attaining of a clearer understanding of God and of man's relation to Him, and also a more correct concept of the spiritual nature of the universe. Where can there be any place for limitation or confusion in a spiritual universe filled with spiritual ideas and governed by Spirit, God? It is the belief that man is material, governed by limiting material laws; that he is a creator and is personally responsible for his welfare, that gives the belief of time a hold on one's affairs. As one gains a clearer realization of spiritual selfhood, and of the omnipotence and omnipresence of God, one begins to understand man's coexistence with God. This truth causes one to turn more constantly to God for direction and guidance in every least human activity and, as a result, one eliminates from one's experience much false activity, materiality, and worldliness.

When the limiting lie of lack of time confronts us, let us diligently search our thinking to see what the activity of the day includes. Are we greeted on awakening by the argument that more time is needed for sleep? If we succumb to this argument we may find it presenting the further suggestion that we have not enough time for all we need to do. A careful analysis of our daily round may reveal that a much larger portion of our day is spent with material occupations, amusements, visiting, and such like, than we had realized, and this discovery may be the means of our doing some profitable sifting. Often, when we complain of lack of time for spiritual things, prayerful thought may show us that too much occupation of a material nature has been indulged.

There is another way in which time claims to act as a hindrance, and that is in physical healing. The argument often is that since a bodily ill has been of long duration it must needs take a certain amount of time to eradicate it. No better example of the falsity of this suggestion can be cited than that of the impotent man at the pool of Bethesda. We read that "when Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?" And the record further states that immediately the man was made whole. The healing process exercised by Jesus was in no way delayed because the man "had been now a long time in that case." All will admit that an angry, sinful thought may be immediately replaced with a loving, righteous one, and that the correcting process is mental. In the healing of sickness the correction may likewise be as instant. The innumerable instantaneous physical healings which are wrought through the application of Christian Science are ample proof that replacing the belief in sickness with the realization of man's eternal perfection, as God's likeness, may be as instant a process as the healing of any other wrong thinking.

The age-long habit of measuring what is called human life is one that has been a source of much limitation and bondage to mankind. The error of reckoning life by material computation is concisely set forth in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 235), where Mrs. Eddy says to her students, "Why this meaningless commemoration of birthdays, since there are none?"

Time, so called, will lose its title, together with its seemingly erroneous influence, as a clearer understanding of the one infinite Father, God, is gained and the universe, including man, is seen to be wholly spiritual.