On page 10 of her Message to The Mother Church for 1898, entitled "Christian Science versus Pantheism," our revered Leader speaks of "the grace of God" as "the effect of God understood." Truly this is a profound definition. When we trace this word through the Bible, with the understanding of Christian Science, a great light is thrown upon the passages dealing with this divine quality.
God's grace, though unmistakably revealed in the lives of the prophets and of other devout Biblical characters, is meant for all men. In Christian Science, divine grace is shown to be scientific evidence of God's presence as Principle, Love. Grace is that which appears as the result of prayer. It is seen in all Christian healing, coming forth from God and resting upon him who truly loves God. The radiance of divine presence —the accompaniment of revelation —is grace. It has no element of mysticism and cannot be associated with fear or ignorance. Grace dwells with holy inspiration, exaltation, and self abnegation, yet is made tangible. Grace, "the effect of God understood," signifies the disappearing of evil and the appearing of divine harmony. As this blessing comes to human consciousness, it is like the breaking of the dawn, a silent, tender, irresistible unfolding and enfolding of infinite Love.
As health, joy, honor, sufficiency, beauty, security, strength, harmony, unity, and continuity appear in human experience as the result of divine understanding, they may be recognized as expressive of the grace of God. Such effect is obtainable only through prayer which acquaints men with God. The grace of God declares that divinity embraces humanity, that God and His man and heaven are so near that we may experience their presence. How necessarily, then, must follow the deliverance of the human race from servitude to materialism! The "effect of God understood" is the coming of the kingdom of God on earth.
