An opaque wall, a dirty window, or a clean, transparent pane of glass—which one will allow the sun to shine through best? Using this imagery, Mary Baker Eddy describes mortal thought, or material consciousness. She points out that the dark, mortal thought, engrossed in materiality, is as dense as a solid wall; whereas, the mortal thought that is being spiritually enlightened by God becomes less restrictive, less material in basis, and more transparent and welcoming to the Christ light.
Here are her inspiring words from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: “The manifestation of God through mortals is as light passing through the window-pane. The light and the glass never mingle, but as matter, the glass is less opaque than the walls. The mortal mind through which Truth appears most vividly is that one which has lost much materiality—much error—in order to become a better transparency for Truth. Then, like a cloud melting into thin vapor, it no longer hides the sun” (p. 295).
The Apostle Paul, in his first stirring epistle to the Christian church in Corinth, similarly used symbolism to contrast the mortal thought, which sees imperfectly, with the illuminated consciousness that beholds the radiated perfect image of man “face to face” with God, divine Love: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (I Corinthians 13:12).
