The compass needle always points north. The attractive force never denies the needle, nor can the needle deny the attraction. Whether on the highest mountain, in the lowest valley, in the middle of the desert, or on the tumultuous sea, the needle never fails to point north.
After my dad retired, we enjoyed taking yearly fishing trips to Canada. We loved the incredible beauty of the area and especially our time together.
One evening we were in a remote part of the lake and lost track of time. It was fall, and the sun was setting earlier, so we needed to navigate our way back to the lodge quickly. However, I took a wrong turn, and we didn’t know which direction to go to get to the lodge. My dad and I were both concerned, and I became extremely fearful. It was now almost completely dark and starting to get very cold.
My dad told me to turn off the boat’s motor. He closed his eyes, and I knew he was praying. In a few minutes he looked at me and said that God was with us—as He always is—and we could never be lost or abandoned. He told me that the Christ, much like the needle of the compass, is always guiding us in the right direction.
Mary Baker Eddy writes in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: “Jesus demonstrated Christ; he proved that Christ is the divine idea of God—the Holy Ghost, or Comforter, revealing the divine Principle, Love, and leading into all truth” (p. 332). Soon my dad said, “Let’s go back to the lodge.” I started the motor and drove directly to the lodge, as if I had known exactly where it was all the time.
The Christ, God’s divine message, is irresistible and irrepressible. It is the ever-attractive Truth that can never be denied nor deny God’s expression, man. Its operation is powerful, gentle, and eternal. Whether we are completely lost or trying to navigate “the straight and narrow way,” the Christ is always present to lead us to our heavenly Father.
Randy Erwin
