Throughout history, theories and beliefs have bound and limited mankind; for example, the theory of the flat earth, the stationary earth, and many others. The present age is no exception, as the many conflicting theories about the origin and behavior of mankind prove.
Fundamental among these mistaken theories is the one recorded in the second chapter of Genesis, beginning with verse 6, where the history of the material creation and physical man is figuratively presented. All the atrocities mankind has inflicted or suffered from the earliest times can be seen to stem from this belief in a material and limited creation. Mrs. Eddy writes, "In this erroneous theory, matter takes the place of Spirit." And in the following paragraph she continues, "This latter part of the second chapter of Genesis, which portrays Spirit as supposedly cooperating with matter in constructing the universe, is based on some hypothesis of error, for the Scripture just preceding declares God's work to be finished." Science and Health, p. 522;
With his insight into the sufferings and longings of men, Paul wrote: "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." Rom. 8:22, 23;
From Genesis to the Apocalypse the Bible gives the history of this struggle, this yearning of men for redemption. We read in the Bible and in the recorded history of events the story of mankind, often with the same old mistakes repeated over and over again. Each generation revolts against the preceding generation, and each subsequent generation in some measure, or in particular ways, starts all over again. The premises being mortal, the conclusions, also being mortal, are bound to be limited. So long as men act from the assumption that man and the universe are material, limited, divided into nations, races, sexes, the struggle is bound to go on.
Christian Science brings the revolutionary breakthrough the world needs. It teaches the spiritual nature of creation, and it does this in full accord with the inspired teachings of the Bible. Beginning with the premise of spiritual creation as recorded in the very first chapter of the Bible, where we read that God created man in His own image and likeness and saw that everything was good, Science reasons that man is spiritual and good. Because this is so, it is natural that we should desire to have good in our lives. After all, isn't this what we all work for? Our real selfhood is forever identified with good, but the erroneous theory that good is material and limited would deny this correct identification and make us chase after material, fleeting things—the "good" that never satisfies. The good the Bible refers to is spiritual, and it is in the possession of the real man. Even a tiny inkling of this fact can unfold into great goodness in our lives, just as the beauty of the rose, its color, contours, and perfume unfold from the tiny bud we see forming on the twig. Flowers and leaves are not put on the tree from the outside. And Christian Science teaches the student as a first step of redemption to turn to Mind, God, to find the real man in his own God-bestowed consciousness.
Throughout her writings Mrs. Eddy explains the spiritual nature of man and the universe. As we study the Science she discovered, we learn to look away from the body. The Bible says, "There is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding." Job 32:8; This spiritual identity is man's real self. Through study, prayer, and practice we find our real self, and in proportion as our understanding of spiritual man increases, the hold of the physical nature on us diminishes. The claims of physicality lessen in intensity and must finally disappear altogether.
As we let go of the implications of the erroneous theory of life in matter, the effects of this belief are gradually wiped out through the transformation of our thinking. Our desires become more Godlike, fear and uncertainty give place to love and security, we are protected from all sorts of discordant conditions, the peace of God descends on us, and the body responds favorably to our inner peace and dominion. In other words, we experience a Christian Science healing.
This is exactly what happened to me.
Because of world upheavals, as a child I lost everything, including my parents. I survived, but the experience left deep wounds; the hurt seemed incurable. As a young girl I had a life devoid of any hope. Christian Science came to me at this time. Through the daily study of the Lesson-Sermons in the Christian Science Quarterly I soon learned to get over the belief of having an "enemy," to love all mankind, and finally to see the notion of having an enemy wiped out entirely. The article "Love Your Enemies" in Miscellaneous Writings by Mrs. Eddy opened the way. What seemed most difficult was giving up the sense of hurt. But I kept studying Christian Science because it satisfied my intellect and my sense of the brotherhood of men. As I continued, I acquired a degree of insight into events in a scientific way. I realized that alongside what seemed to be "man's inhumanity to man" there was the steady manifestation of God's active love to man. In general, more brotherly love was being expressed in the world, protection was being extended to the weak, food and clothing provided to needy areas. There was no doubt in my mind that these acts were the direct manifestation of God's loving care working in the hearts of men. I realized that His purpose was steadily unfolding to human consciousness.
Looking deeper into the Bible and into recorded history, I visualized the ascent of mankind and learned more about its outreach for redemption. Mrs. Eddy says, "Christ's Christianity is the chain of scientific being reappearing in all ages, maintaining its obvious correspondence with the Scriptures and uniting all periods in the design of God."Science and Health, p. 271; I saw that throughout the ages the search has been for a supreme being and spiritual man. So the search was a universal one. No one was more conscious of this than Mrs. Eddy. She writes, "From the interior of Africa to the utmost parts of the earth, the sick and the heavenly homesick or hungry hearts are calling on me for help, and I am helping them." The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 147; As this outreach of prophets and other searchers lifted human consciousness closer to Truth, in due time the great Teacher, Christ Jesus, came.
Nearly two thousand years have passed since Jesus taught on the hillsides of Galilee. His teachings question the theory of a material creation and a physical man. He said, "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing."John 6:63; Some of those who might have seemed best qualified to embrace his teachings rejected them, but as Paul says, "The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us." Rom. 8:26; Thus the Spirit has been steadily working in human hearts. Although the physical-creation theory was still believed in the Christian world, human consciousness was being prepared for a more spiritual definition of God and man. The search for God that has been going on since humankind began to think was to come to a climax with the discovery of Christian Science.
Through this insight I saw that the advent of Christian Science was not an isolated event of the nineteenth century. It was the culmination of the search and its coincidence with revelation. Divine Science is the Comforter promised by Jesus and the implementation of his teachings. And unless we see it as such, we will lose sight of the magnitude of the revelation and may allow it to appear as a nineteenth century sect or an American invention.
In conjunction with a thorough and systematic study of the Bible, Christian Science enables the student to learn the spiritual nature of the universe and man and to wipe away the ravages of the mistaken theory. Then the student draws on the inexhaustible source of his being, finding all his needs fully satisfied in God. But he does something much more important than getting his health and well-being He helps to bring God's kingdom on earth in a way that his fellow beings can comprehend; and his name shall be written in the "book of life."Rev. 21:27.
