The Bible speaks of a holy dwelling place in various ways—as "habitation," the "holy city," "Zion," or simply, "the land." All of these have a meaning that extends beyond the merely geographical and denotes, instead, a state of mind or condition of consciousness.
A familiar verse in the book of Isaiah reads: "The glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby."Isa. 33:21; Surely the prophet had no merely physical land in mind when he foresaw a state where there was no burden or threat, and this view accords with the teachings of Christian Science, in which we learn that "the glorious Lord," or God, is the divine Mind, containing within itself no fettered or conflicting state.
The lens through which we look determines our view. Most people will have had the experience of finding their world bright and happy even when, to the material senses, the day is gray and cold. Conversely, if the heart is heavy, the most beautiful day may seem colorless. What is the determining factor? Clearly it is not the external condition but our state of mind. This illustration serves to show the mental and subjective nature of existence even when existence is believed material.
