As the boat neared the mouth of the river, someone asked the captain, "Do you know where all the snags, shoals, and obstacles are?" The captain replied, "No, I do not know their location; but I know where the channel is." Had the captain believed that he was familiar only with the obstacles, he could not have been relied upon to bring the vessel safely to port, for the tides may change the position of the shifting debris.
So, in the journey from sense to Soul, how important is knowledge of the right way! The student must understand, and not merely believe, this Science. In the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," our beloved Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, says (p. 83), "Nothing is more antagonistic to Christian Science than a blind belief without understanding, for such a belief hides Truth and builds on error." Like the shifting debris, belief is changeable. One may believe a falsehood, while true understanding is based upon undeviating Principle.
Divine Science is exact Science, and one of the great joys which come to the student early in his experience is in knowing that this Science continues to be true, that as he progresses the truth is ever unfolding; that nothing he learns has to be unlearned, and that what he learns is demonstrable. With increasing eagerness he seeks a greater knowledge of true being. This is gained through better comprehension of God and His perfect idea, man.
