In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mary Baker Eddy writes (pp. 191, 192), "Mind, God, sends forth the aroma of Spirit, the atmosphere of intelligence." As revealed by Christian Science, this "atmosphere of intelligence" is by no means the atmosphere of cold intellectualism. For this Science teaches that God, good, is divine Mind, the only intelligence. That because God, Spirit, is infinite, there is only one Mind. That the belief of many minds or mind in matter is a falsity, an erroneous concept of creation.
In its highest human sense "the atmosphere of intelligence" is associated with unselfishness, kindness, beauty, strength, clarity, balance, all qualities derived from divine Mind. It follows that whatever claims to deny, obscure, or reverse the order of divine Mind with its "atmosphere of intelligence" is but the mist of mortal mind, a mental miasma of falsity and error.
"Reasoning from cause to effect in the Science of Mind, we begin with Mind, which must be understood through the idea which expresses it and cannot be learned from its opposite, matter" (ibid., p. 467). Beginning with Mind and "reasoning from cause to effect," one finds he must classify that atmospheric phenomenon, weather, as belonging to the mental realm. Weather must be seen as the externalization of thought. We cannot afford then to sit idly by and accept inclement and undesirable weather as something outside and beyond the control of the one Mind. If we do, we deserve to be classified among those of whom Charles Dudley Warner was speaking when he humorously observed, "Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it."
Study of "atmosphere" by means of the Concordances to our Leader's writings proved helpful to a student of Christian Science, who found one statement most encouraging. Mrs. Eddy says in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 265) that "the atmosphere of the human mind, when cleansed of self and permeated with divine Love, will reflect this purified subjective state in clearer skies, less thunderbolts, tornadoes, and extremes of heat and cold."
As we, even in the smallest way, begin to purify our thinking by replacing erroneous concepts of God, man, and the universe with the true thoughts of God as infinite Spirit and of man and the universe as perfect, spiritual, and eternal, we are in that degree aiding in the purification of the atmosphere. When we lift our thought above the mortal seeming into the rarefied atmosphere of Soul, we experience the sunshine of Soul. Because there is in reality only one Mind, there is no mortal mind to manifest itself in hate and selfishness or in harsh and bitter cold weather. Nor is there any so-called mind to manifest itself in a mesmeric belief of heat, stuffiness, and humidity or in apathy, inertia, and deterioration. The perfection of God, Mind, the only creator, forever denies and destroys any such claims of imperfection. God, Mind, the infinitely kind and tender Father-Mother, causes nothing unlike Himself, but bestows upon His creation the all-embracing warmth of Love, the comforting safety of Truth, the sustaining continuity of Life. No set of circumstances, no evidence of the material senses, can ever reverse the blessed truths so clearly spoken to an exhausted and troubled world through Christian Science, God's Comforter to mankind.
Recently a student of Christian Science had an awakening and helpful experience which proved that bad weather is no more an obstacle to progress than is any other claim of error. She had been doing metaphysical work for a forthcoming lecture to be given by a local branch Church of Christ, Scientist, recognizing that because the lecture was inspired by God, the one divine Mind, and its purpose was to acquaint strangers with the healing ministry of Christian Science, as well as to refresh and strengthen those who already had experienced its healing touch, it was under the control of divine Mind; that no claim of another mind, no circumstance, no counterattraction or opposing influence could prevent the message of Truth from being heard and performing its function.
A lecture in a neighboring city was to be given exactly a week before the local lecture, and the student had a deep desire to attend it. The temperature began to drop and snow to fall. Weather reports were discouraging, and although busses were operating they were not on schedule. The night before the lecture the writer listened to this suggestion: "Wait until morning and see how the weather is."
Suddenly, with great clarity, came this line of reasoning: "If you accept and acquiesce in error's argument that weather can keep you from this lecture, how can you hope to stand upon the truth of God's government you have been declaring for the local lecture?" The student immediately reaffirmed her declarations of Truth and made preparations to go to the lecture. The trip was joyful and harmonious in every way. At her destination there was no snow at all. The weather moderated and cleared for the subsequent lecture, which was well attended.
Jesus of Nazareth knew in every instance the complete control of Mind over all adverse circumstances. The Way-shower met and stilled the tempest with the same assurance with which he healed the sick. The Principle of the universe is invariable, and as we increase in the understanding of that Principle we shall increase our ability to demonstrate it. Let us then be more alert to reject whatever would restrict our freedom as the sons of God. And, whether the restriction appears to be an unkind thought or a snowstorm, let us claim for ourselves and for our neighbor Love's ever-present guidance, help, and government.
As we continue in the study of the Science of Christianity, demonstrating the incontrovertible control of the one Mind and our true selfhood as the individual expression of that Mind, we shall find "the atmosphere of intelligence" pervading our lives to a greater and greater extent. And even though the opposite of "the atmosphere of intelligence" may seem at times to be overwhelming, we can rejoice and rest in the heartening assurance to be found in the forty-sixth Psalm, "Be still, and know that I am God: . . . I will be exalted in the earth."
