It is hard to imagine that anyone would deliberately turn off a beautiful, straight highway onto an unknown, devious, bumpy road if he were really eager to reach his destination. Yet is not this just what we do when we depart from the mental road of clear, straight thinking into the bypaths of self-deception, self-will, discouragement, or fear?
The Bible has many references to the way—the straight way that leads to the kingdom of heaven or the promised land, which is the place all mankind is really seeking. Isaiah said (30:21), "Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left." In order to reach a given destination we must first locate it, map the way, and follow directions exactly. Christ Jesus gave us the location of the kingdom of heaven. He said (Luke 17:21), "The kingdom of God is within you." This locates it in our own thinking, within immediate reach of all.
Mary Baker Eddy writes in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 151): "All that really exists is the divine Mind and its idea, and in this Mind the entire being is found harmonious and eternal. The straight and narrow way is to see and acknowledge this fact, yield to this power, and follow the leadings of truth." In this statement, she maps out for us the exact process by which we reach the destination—harmony, or the kingdom of heaven—we all are seeking.
