Recently the writer asked herself, "What is the light of the world?" Then, as though in answer to her silent question, came these words of the Master, Christ Jesus: "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12), and, "Ye are the light of the world" (Matt. 5:14). But, she thought, how could Jesus say that he was the light of the world and at the same time tell his followers that they too were the light of the world?
As she turned to "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, her understanding of the true light of the world began to unfold. She learned that Christ was Jesus' true selfhood, the spiritual idea of Truth and Love. The I to which Jesus referred was, then, not his human personality, but his true, spiritual individuality, the Christ, which he demonstrated. Thus he could correctly say, "I am the light of the world."
But, she thought, he also said, "Ye are the light of the world." How could he say that? Turning once more to Science and Health, which is indeed a key to the Scriptures, she found this definition of man (p. 115): "God's spiritual idea, individual, perfect, eternal." Then she perceived that in this instance, too, Jesus was not referring to mortals, or human personalities, but to man made in the image and likeness of God, Spirit, as perfect and eternal as the Father. Thus he could correctly say, "Ye are the light of the world."
Now the work of a light is to radiate and glow, to dispel the darkness, to shed its radiance and warmth abroad so that all who are groping in the dark may find their way. Then, what a sacred task has been bestowed upon us, to be the light of the world! We are to let our light radiate and glow by demonstrating our real selfhood as the reflection of Truth and Love, and thus to dispel the darkness of pain and sorrow, sin and death. The wonderful part about this task is that we are not responsible for making the light. We are not responsible for its existence, clarity, or continuity. God alone is the Maker of the light. His Christ is forever illumining His universe. He alone is responsible for its presence, power, and maintenance.
Our task is to receive and radiate this divine light. Mrs. Eddy tells us on page 333 of Science and Health, "Throughout all generations both before and after the Christian era, the Christ, as the spiritual idea,— the reflection of God,—has come with some measure of power and grace to all prepared to receive Christ, Truth." Notice the use of the word prepared. There is where our responsibility lies: to make sure that we are prepared to receive the light of divine Truth and Love.
We may well pause frequently and ask ourselves: "How much of the divine light am I prepared to receive? How much am I taking in? How much am I radiating, or giving out?" It is certainly true that we cannot radiate what we have not received; neither can we receive what we have not prepared ourselves to accept. We may well pause and examine ourselves to see if we have been receptive and have filled our consciousness with Truth and Love; if it is so permeated with joy and gratitude that nothing can prevent us from radiating the Christ, Truth.
There may be those who think that this is too slow and too quiet a method by which to convince the world of the healing power of Christian Science. But may we remind them that we have been instructed to follow this method by Jesus himself, who said (Matt. 5:16), "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." What is more, he himself used this method. He practiced what he preached. His deeds were the manifestation of his thoughts and words. He let his light shine, and the glory of his example is still shining, though ages have passed. Why? Because his was the scientific demonstration of the divine Principle, Love.
If we are eager that the world shall become better acquainted with the fact that Christian Science heals, we have only to let our own light shine. What better proof could we present? At home, that our family and neighbors may see its glow. At work, that our fellow workers, our customers, our tradesmen, may see and wonder what it is we have that makes us healthy and happy. At school, at church, wherever our occupation may take us, we must be engaged in our divine activity of letting our understanding of the spiritual idea of Truth and Love shine. Only those whose hope has been rekindled by the quiet example of Christian Scientists can fully appreciate just how effective this method is. The light they reflect, more than anything else, attracts those still in the darkness of error, weary of pain and sorrow, tired of mistakes and lost opportunities, fearful of sin and death. The light of Truth reflected by us is an irresistible attraction, a ray of hope, a beacon leading them to God.
A young woman who worked in a large department store had been ill for some time. She knew a little about Christian Science and decided to ask for treatment. Soon it became apparent to all those associated with her that a radical change had taken place in both her health and her appearance, and she now radiated much joy and confidence. Her fellow workers inquired what she had done to bring about this change, and she told them that she had experienced a healing in Christian Science.
One day not long after this a young mother who worked with her asked the student if she thought Christian Science could help her small son. It seemed that the doctor had arranged for a surgical operation to be performed to correct a serious infection of the leg bone. The mother was assured that the boy could be helped, and Christian Science treatment was requested. Within a day or two the boy was out playing football with his friends. He was completely and permanently healed. Later this same little boy's mother was healed of an internal difficulty of several years' duration, and his grandmother was healed of a kidney infection of seventeen years' standing.
Soon another associate asked for help for a severe nervous breakdown which physicians had failed to cure, and she was healed within a short time. The stock-room girl, attracted by the light of Truth reflected by the Christian Scientist, requested treatment for her little daughter, who was suffering from an acute attack of appendicitis. In fact, the physician who had been attending her had issued the verdict that only an operation could cure the child. Upon arriving home in the evening, she found the girl up, dressed, and out playing. Every one of the foregoing healings was the direct result of an earnest student of Christian Science letting her light shine, showing forth the health, joy, love, which Science had brought into her life.
Mrs. Eddy clearly sets forth her concept of our task in the following lines from Science and Health (p. 367): "A Christian Scientist occupies the place at this period of which Jesus spoke to his disciples, when he said: 'Ye are the salt of the earth.' 'Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.' Let us watch, work, and pray that this salt lose not its saltness. and that this light be not hid, but radiate and glow into noontide glory."
We are to be prepared to receive it and radiate it! It cannot be hidden or extinguished. Neither sin, sickness, death, atomic bombs, nor war can destroy the spiritual idea, Christ.
