On one occasion a student of Christian Science and some friends had the privilege of visiting a certain national park. Easily and steadily they ascended the mountain road in their automobile, pausing from time to time to view waterfalls and mountain streams. Eventually, at the end of the road they came out on a plateau, where a beautiful panorama of mountain scenery was unfolded. How clear and pure the air at this altitude! How radiant and good the warm sunshine!
Soon it was noticed that some climbers were starting out to scale the summit of the mountain, and it was observed how businesslike was their equipment. They were carrying everything required for a successful ascent, but nothing useless or unnecessary. Doubtless they realized the arduous task ahead of them, but there surely was also joyous anticipation of achievement, of conquering the snow-covered slopes, so that they might stand at last upon the peak of the mountain.
Pondering this situation, the student realized how like our experience in Christian Science was this episode. Perhaps our first healing in Christian Science has lifted us up easily to where we get our first glimpse of spiritual vision, and, filled with joy thereat, we would be content to stay there in our new-found sense of freedom and peace. But anon there comes a call for progress, a call to higher tasks.
We cannot stay forever at one point in our progress, but must needs go onward and upward, ascending the mount of demonstration until at last, when all belief in matter, with its worldliness and materiality, shall have been lost and self overcome, we shall stand at the summit of spiritual understanding and revelation, in the consciousness of divine Love, the kingdom of heaven, the reign of harmony. To this end, through "diligence, promptness, and perseverance," which "carry the baggage of stern resolve," as Mrs. Eddy states in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 514), and equipped with our spiritual guides, the Bible and our revered Leader's textbook and her other writings, we shall press steadily onward, overcoming the obstacles that would hinder our ascent—the stubborn rocks of self-love, the treacherous ice of self-will, the crevasses of sin. Then, like the mountain climbers, we too, though well aware of the difficulties of our ascent, may be filled with joyous anticipation of achievement, success, and victory.
Thus through daily demonstration of Truth, spiritual ascending lifts us above the bondage of material sense, of belief in life in matter, into the freedom and harmony of spiritual being, into the perfect understanding of life in God. We read in Science and Health (p. 246): "Life is eternal. We should find this out, and begin the demonstration thereof." Life is God, omniscient and eternal, and man, the image and likeness of God, is eternally expressing Life. Life, then, has no connection with death, and since Life, God, is All, there can be no death. Death and its kindred errors, sin and disease, are illusions, unknown to God, hence unknown to man. They are false beliefs, without entity or power.
It was on this basis that Christ Jesus restored the widow's son at Nain, Jairus' daughter, Lazarus, and finally himself. "And this is life eternal," the Master declared, "that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." Thus he plainly showed that the way to eternal life can be found only in the understanding and demonstration of God and His Christ, of Truth and Love, as revealed in Christian Science. The more we understand of Truth and Love, the more we know and manifest of Life. The more we fill our consciousness with Truth and Love, the more conscious we are of Life, and consequently the less we believe in death. Every triumph over error, every healing accomplished, every sin and fault destroyed, has to some extent destroyed for us the belief in death; and in the destruction of this belief we are indeed daily passing from death into Life. We have Scriptural proof of our God-given ability to grow in the understanding of Spirit, as witness the instance of Enoch, who by faith walked so closely with God that he was translated, and did not pass through the experience called death; as likewise of Elijah, who, as the record declares, "went up by a whirlwind into heaven."
As thought opens to the realization that here and now we may begin to demonstrate eternal Life, fear of "the last enemy" is overcome and joy fills the heart; for one grasps something of the vision of John in Revelation: "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." The suffering, lonely heart, bowed beneath the weight of apparent separation from some faithful loved one, may look up with renewed hope and joy, and wake to know that those who pass beyond our sight are forever dwelling in eternal Mind, held in the arms of infinite Love, in whom we and they "live, and move, and have our being." The belief of separation, a phase of the dream of life in matter, must eventually cease, and we, God's beloved children, must awaken to find ourselves at peace, ever dwelling in Love, in harmony, heaven.
When this glorious consciousness of eternal Life unfolds to us, no belief of death, of loss or separation, can rob us of our serenity and peace. With the light of ever present Love illuming our consciousness, we learn to rise above sorrow and suffering, above self and sense, and find happiness and contentment in loving, unselfed living, whereby we may help, heal, and comfort others. With our thought lifted to the spiritual heights to which we aspire, we shall indeed make sure and joyous progress.
