Stephen W. Hawking, the celebrated professor at Cambridge, stated, "If we find the answer to [why we and the universe exist], it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason—for then we would know the mind of God." A Brief History of Time (New York: Bantam Books, 1988), p. 175 .
To "know the mind of God," or to search for an understanding of ultimate reality, has been the quest of much of mankind. Conventional scientific materialism and commonly accepted methods of reason based on human empiricism have expanded knowledge immeasurably. But could there be more to understanding reality than just an accumulation of knowledge?
In stark contrast to conventional scientific methods, the Christianly scientific approach begins with divine Spirit, or God, as the source of ultimate understanding. A search for understanding apart from the material sense is nothing new. All the way back in the Old Testament of the Bible, when God asked Solomon what God should give him, Solomon acknowledged his own human inadequacy to lead God's people and answered, "Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart." I Kings 3:9. Solomon realized that the most substantial thing he could ask for was the ability to understand, and to judge correctly. And he recognized God as the source of this ability.
Christian Science teaches that active growth in understanding God takes place when understanding itself is recognized as being God-originated, not personal to individuals. This radical departure from modern thinking and practice was most clearly evident in Christ Jesus. He said: "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son like-wise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel." John 5:19, 20. Jesus went to his Father, God, for the inspiration that enabled him to give the world such wonderful healings and such powerful instruction. It's obvious that the healing work he accomplished didn't come from some kind of personal intellectual capacity. No amount of cognitive energy can forgive sin and triumph over disease and death. Such expressions of immortal power could only be God-originated.
Spiritually regarded, man is the emanation, or the outcome, of God. The character of God is shown forth in the qualities He expresses in man and the spiritual universe. Understanding is one such quality. It is not a personal possession contained in a personal mind or deduced from sensory information; it is reflected in man by God.
What does this mean to us? If we accept that God is infinite, then divine Mind, or God, must be the All-in-all, and it is reasonable to conclude that this Mind always understands. The only Mind there is, the only Mind we can actually have, is God, because divine Mind is the only intelligence which exists, is always present, conscious, and absolutely aware. Man, as Mind's idea, reflects this conscious understanding.
For many years I suffered from a problem in which my foot had grown incorrectly. Pain was what I was continually aware of, and this problem had been around for so many years I really didn't think it was possible ever to be healed. My study and application of Christian Science in regard to this situation were looking pretty fruitless. I would go to a Wednesday testimony service at a Church of Christ, Scientist, and hear individuals tell of the many physical healings they had experienced through the prayer and practice of Christian Science, and I would be very much encouraged. But when I would check my foot, after praying and studying about the same things these people I heard in church pray about, I would still have my problem. The "words" of this Science were beautiful and uplifting, but I really needed to understand and feel that they were true. I would hear myself say, "I guess I just don't have enough understanding to prove Christian Science for myself."
One Wednesday evening, sitting in church hungrily listening so as not to miss a word, I decided to ask God what He knew about this condition instead of "leaning on my own understanding." I'd asked God this question many times before, but this time I was not so wrapped up in myself and was actually ready to hear. I sat there mentally very still and quietly listened. In this quietness I felt God's powerful, healing presence. It was as if I were being told, "Why do you ask Me about this and how to get rid of it? I have never even known you to actually have it. You have always been My cherished, perfect, spiritual child. You have been this way all along. You are My exact reflection, so I would have to have this problem in order for you to reflect it. But My allness is absolutely good, and I forbid it. And I am unique—there is nothing else available for you to reflect."
I don't mean to imply that God spoke in an audibly discernible manner, but the message was genuine. I could feel it was valid, and I knew I could trust it without reserve. I wholeheartedly promised God that from now on I would only look at myself in the way He sees me—perfect and spiritual, irrespective of any empirical evidence to the contrary. I knew that, in the light of this freshly exposed understanding of my permanent perfection, it just didn't make sense to inspect my foot continually, as though it were the indicator of my well-being.
To first admit that I possess God-maintained perfection, and then to turn to matter as the authority to verify it, would be inconsistent with what I now understood about my perfect, spiritual nature and relationship to God. Sick or healthy matter cannot in and of itself nullify or verify perfect spirituality. And, in any case, I was much more interested in spending my time examining this freshly revealed understanding of the way God knows me.
This revelation probably could not be detected by any sensing device invented by mankind, but it was extremely substantial and real to me. This God-originated understanding of reality was primarily enlightening and secondarily healing. A few days later, as I was putting my socks on, I noticed that my foot was normal and perfectly formed. It has stayed that way since the healing took place twelve years ago.
This healing showed me that an expectant and listening mental posture allows for the actual activity of God in our thought. Christian Science explains this activity to be the Christ—the effectual influence of divine Mind, God. It raises thinking; it brings higher views of reality to a present stage of thought. The Christ imparts understanding of present spiritual perfection, subdues matter, and therefore, precipitates healing. Sometimes much humble listening is necessary, other times things become clear in an instant; but it is important to recognize that this Christly touch is ever available, just the same way God is. An expectant attitude, if steadfastly held to, allows for the accurate perception of God and man to come into clear view. Remember, Jesus went to his Father for understanding; the same Christliness that anointed Jesus will also anoint us in proportion as the human yields to the divine.
To stay consciously aware in our daily lives of the source of understanding helps us recognize and acknowledge our growth Spiritward. After every church service, after every prayer, every time we finish reading the Bible Lesson-Sermon or an inspiring article, we may ask ourselves, "What have I learned? How am I different? Am I willing to be changed by what has been revealed to me? And most important, how can I best put into action in daily life the new, God-given understanding I've just learned of?"
We don't need to hold a professorship in order to make progress in understanding ultimate reality. But we do need to hold continually to the fact that the only true understanding there is, is God's understanding, which man reflects. Then, in the degree that we do this, Christly intelligence fills our experience.
God's allness and man's true nature become vastly more significant than empirically based human reasoning can be. Mrs. Eddy states it this way: "The divine understanding reigns, is all, and there is no other consciousness." Science and Health, p. 536. Acting and living from this basis, we already know the reason we and the universe exist—to express God.
