The emphasis which Christian Science places on God as the all-pervading, all-inclusive presence naturally corrects the faulty theological concept of Deity as a remote or distant entity. In doing this. Christian Science gives us a true sense of reverence and veneration which honors God in a way that we never did before. Reverence as taught by the schools is often far removed from true reverence. False theological teaching would make the presence and action of God impossible of realization and demonstration. Reverence has been generally defined as an emotion of profound respect but coupled with awe and fear. Reverence and awe in this sense have conveyed to mankind both apprehension and dread.
In her textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, writes (p. 596), "Paganism and agnosticism may define Deity as 'the great unknowable but Christian Science brings God much nearer to man, and makes Him better known as the All-in-all, forever near." It is this forever nearness to God that we all need to understand and make practical in demonstration. The oneness and inseparability of God and man not only takes away all fear, but increases our reverence and love for our adorable One, God.
The Bible declares (Lev. 19:2), "Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy." It may be possible that one as a student has not wholly abandoned some of the theological concepts so generally held regarding God and man. It is possible that one might speak of God as Mind, but follow the old habit of thinking of Mind as at a distance somewhere. One may also unconsciously conceive, then, that the ideas of this remote Mind are sent or in some way come to man. Pure Science, however, leads us to understand that man, because he is idea and because of his oneness with Mind, must exist forever at the standpoint of unfolding ideas.
