The natural world often displays great beauty. Whether it’s a vibrant-colored sunset, the grace of a soaring raptor, the grandeur and might of a waterfall, or the delicate beauty of a wildflower, chances are we’ve all been inspired by such scenery at one time or another. Nature has a way of making us feel that we are part of something magnificent, something grand.
The inspiration we feel at such moments can naturally lead us to a deeper appreciation of God, our heavenly creator, and of the spiritual nature of creation. “The Indians caught some glimpses of the underlying reality, when they called a certain beautiful lake ‘the smile of the Great Spirit,’ ” wrote Mary Baker Eddy (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 477). She had a keen sense of how earth’s wonders hint at something deeply spiritual, explaining, “Arctic regions, sunny tropics, giant hills, winged winds, mighty billows, verdant vales, festive flowers, and glorious heavens,—all point to Mind, the spiritual intelligence they reflect” (Science and Health, p. 240).
As we exercise our God-given spiritual sense, we see something much grander—we see that Mind, or Spirit, and not matter, is the source of all good, beauty, and harmony. In fact, these qualities reflect the only realities of Life, God, and they are totally independent of matter.
