NUMEROUS statements concerning what is termed the world can be found in the Bible and in the writings of Mary Baker Eddy. Many of these statements refer to the unreal and temporary universe, in which mortals think they dwell. Christian Science teaches that the temporary state of existence is but the supposititious outgrowth of mankind's belief in the evidence of the material senses.
Explaining this vital point in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy writes (p.86): "Mortal mind sees what it believes as certainly as it believes what it sees. It feels, hears, and sees its own thoughts." She further develops this subject in her reply to the following question in "Unity of Good" (p.8): "Is anything real of which the physical senses are cognizant?" She writes in part: "Everything is as real as you make it, and no more so. What you see, hear, feel, is a mode of consciousness, and can have no other reality than the sense you entertain of it." In the next paragraph she adds, "It is dangerous to rest upon the evidence of the senses, for this evidence is not absolute, and therefore not real, in our sense of the word."
Through Science we learn that every mortal lives in a world of his own thoughts. What he thinks that he feels, hears, and sees constitutes the phenomena of his present world.
Jesus of Nazareth was divinely commissioned to awaken the Adamic race from bondage to the evidence of the senses and thus to free mankind from the dangerous and delusive consequences of this bondage. We read in John (3:17), "God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." How did our Saviour fulfill this divine commission? Christ Jesus himself answered this question when he said, referring to God (John 8:26), "I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him."
How inspiring it is to realize that we too can commune with divine Love and comprehend the spiritual things of God! How encouraging it is for us to understand that in proportion as we see and express the things of God, we shall be able not only to work out our own salvation but also to aid in bringing salvation to the world.
Our Way-shower's concept of the world was the exact opposite of the one entertained by suffering humanity. Where so-called mortal sense saw a world of error—of sin, sickness, and mortality—Jesus' pure, spiritual perception beheld the world of Truth, the world of health, holiness, and immortality. He always knew the truth regarding the world, and this truth corrected and destroyed every lying suggestion presented to him by the physical senses.
When the material senses would tempt us to believe in the world, with its greed, mad ambition, intolerance, sin, disease, and death, we should cling to our understanding of the things of God. Standing on the testimony of Spirit, we can realize that the impartial tenderness of Love, the meekness and might of good, the health, holiness, and immortality of Soul, fill all space and reflect all power.
The following experience shows how a student of Christian Science was awakened to see the need of spiritualizing her own sense of the world. The incident occurred in the year 1939, when she was serving as one of the assistants to the hostess in the Christian Science Building at the World's Fair in New York City. The work was interesting and fruitful. However, as time went on and the number of visitors greatly increased, the work became so absorbing that she began to give less time to the daily duty of defending herself from the common belief in the testimony of the material senses.
One evening, as she was leaving the Christian Science Building, she was suddenly overwhelmed with distaste for the materiality of the scene which confronted her. She heard the harsh noises of the nearby loud-speakers, she saw the excited faces of the crowds of visitors, and she felt the hurry and confusion which seemed to pervade the general atmosphere.
Instead of instantly turning away from the false testimony of mortal sense and replacing it with the evidence of spiritual sense, she found her thought filled with criticism and condemnation. Furthermore, she thanked God that she was not living in a world of excitement and confusion as the crowds through which she passed seemed to be.
She was soon rudely awakened from this self-righteous state of thought. A few mornings later as she was leaving home she fell, severely injuring her ankle. A kindly stranger helped her to arise, and she was able to return to her apartment.
She asked a Christian Science practitioner to help her. The practitioner's statement of the truth that there could be no imperfection in God's creation was so positive and convincing that the student's fear began at once to abate. When evening came, much of the pain, swelling, and inflammation had disappeared. But it seemed that it would be impossible for her to go to the building the next day, as her work required considerable physical activity.
Nevertheless, she clung steadfastly to the perfection of God and of man, His image and likeness. She realized that this experience would not punish her, but would bless her. She saw that it was her joyous privilege as well as her duty to obey Christ Jesus' admonition (John 7:24), "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." She was truly grateful for this lesson.
She was at her post in the morning, fulfilling her regular duties. It was a joyful day! She felt surrounded, supported, and sustained by divine Love. She was healed ! She had caught a glimpse of the fact that every individual is free to uplift his sense of the world in which he dwells.
The Bible affords us abundant proof of this fact. The story of Joseph's life, as recorded in Genesis, is a good illustration. No matter what untoward condition or situation seemed to confront Joseph, whether it was slavery, slander, unjust imprisonment, or ingratitude, he continued to obey and trust God, good, and to love and help many. All Bible students know that Joseph's reward for his loyalty to God was beyond measure. He won great prestige and power in Egypt. He also saved his family and the people of many countries from starvation.
Truly each one can prove, as Joseph did, that he does not need wealth, influence, or mere human intellect to improve his sense of the world in which he lives and thus bless others. But he does need to cling persistently to his highest sense of good.
One may say, "I understand how I can work out my own salvation through spiritualizing my concept of the world; but I do not see how my work for myself can help to save others." Christian Science explains that the so-called world of sense testimony is but the sum total of the conscious and unconscious thoughts of its inhabitants. Hence it is evident that the destruction of any claim of the five senses, be it small or great, lessens to that extent the error in the world. Individual and collective scientific purification of thought will continue until the spurious evidence of the material senses is forever silenced.
In order to hasten the world's salvation from error, let us hear and obey the following directive of our Way-shower (Mark 13:37): "What I say unto you I say unto all, Watch." Mrs. Eddy amplifies this directive in a correlated passage in her Message to The Mother Church for 1902 when she declares (p.17): "Many sleep who should keep themselves awake and waken the world. Earth's actors change earth's scenes; and the curtain of human life should be lifted on reality, on that which outweighs time; on duty done and life perfected, wherein joy is real and fadeless."
