THE shepherds, watching their flock on the night of the Saviour's birth, saw beyond the sights and sounds of mortal sense. Their spiritual sense was attuned to the momentous happenings of their times, and they caught a glimpse of the radiance of universal harmony, heaven's order. "Glory to God in the highest," they heard the heavenly host saying, "and on earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14). The glory of holiness that shone round these humble, trustworthy men was actually shining in their own hearts. Their goodness made them universal thinkers. They felt the great peace of God's ever-present kingdom, which the Saviour was ushering in.
The spiritually-minded are the universally-minded, whether they know it or not. They reflect the one all-inclusive Mind and partake of the nature of omnipresent Spirit. Mary Baker Eddy says in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 165), "As an active portion of one stupendous whole, goodness identifies man with universal good." Goodness is never isolated. It is universal in its benediction because it is the reflection of the one indivisible Mind, which exists throughout all space. To love good and live it is to relate oneself to God and also to His universe of ideas.
We do not need world-wide acquaintance or great scope of human experience in order to be universally-minded, to reflect omnipresent good, and to contribute to the world's peace. But we do need to know the kingdom of heaven within us, within reach of our present understanding. We need to express righteousness—justice and love—in our individual relationships and thus do our share in bringing universal brotherhood to light. We need to know God as Father, or creative Principle, and man, collectively and individually, as His spiritual emanation.
