"Day may decline and shadows fall, but darkness flees when the earth has again turned upon its axis. The sun is not affected by the revolution of the earth. So Science reveals Soul as God, untouched by sin and death,—as the central Life and intelligence around which circle harmoniously all things in the systems of Mind." In these beautifully lucid words from page 310 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mary Baker Eddy explains the glorious fact of the rhythm of the universe and gives us the assurance that man's true being is constantly under the harmonious control of intelligence and Love.
In music, rhythm and harmonic progress go hand in hand. One does not attempt to play all the notes in a composition at once and then say he has executed it properly. He must take each note progressively as it comes in the score; then he will recognize the composer's purpose in writing the piece.
In order to progress, we must become aware of the rhythmic harmony of God's universe and identify ourselves with His law. Progress, being God's law, is more powerful than all the so-called laws of matter or the material universe. Man is constantly under God's law of progress; this is inevitable, inescapable, and inviolable. Nothing can interfere with man's progress.
Progress is more than an overcoming of problems as they appear in daily experience, or the mere taking of human footsteps as they seem wise, although these are some of the fruits of the understanding of God's law of progress. Mrs. Eddy tells us in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 181), "Progress is the maturing conception of divine Love." This statement indicates that progress is the harmonious, rhythmic unfolding of God's good purpose for man.
Scientifically speaking, progress and creation are inseparable. To human sense creation seems to denote a beginning of something that did not exist before. However, in the light of Christian Science we find creation to be something that has always existed, but is ever unfolding to consciousness, since its source is inexhaustible. Likewise, progress is the rhythmic unfolding of God's infinite, ever-present goodness and must necessarily ever continue to unfold harmoniously because of its inexhaustible source.
These facts have been practically demonstrated in the experience of many Christian Scientists when confronted with problems of pressure and confusion in business. The realization that the divine Mind is the only Mind, controlling, governing, and maintaining every right purpose and supplying everything we need to know when we need to know it, eliminates the belief that we must clutter up our thought with extraneous facts and then frantically beat the air for a solution. The calm rhythm of infinite Mind unfolds itself progressively to us and thus relieves us of all confusion and irritation. Understanding this, we experience a sense of dominion otherwise unknown.
The ever-presence and omnipotence of divine Love, with its rhythmic, harmonious expression, were proved in the experience of a Christian Scientist in the healing of a painful physical disorder. Although she had been praying earnestly, harmonious results were not forthcoming. Searching her thought, she finally realized where the error lay. She had been looking to matter, or the body, for health and harmony; whereas, because of its very nature, as the manifestation of lying mortal mind, matter is necessarily erroneous from start to finish and can never be expected to bring out harmony of itself.
The Christian Scientist realized that her real selfhood, the man of God's creation, was motivated by God, Mind. In every action and function Mind's idea was constantly under God's law of progress and harmony, expressing the rhythm of Spirit. Therefore, none of man's activities could be stopped, disturbed, interfered with, or become stagnant. These activities must constantly express the omniaction of divine Mind. Medical theories, or so-called laws, do not pertain to man; so one does not need to fear them or react to them. Since man lives and moves and has his being in infinite God, as Paul told the Athenians, discord or inharmony cannot be injected into this rhythmic round of harmonious being. Not long after this realization, the Christian Scientist was completely freed from the physical disorder.
Even problems of discordant human relationships or the feeling of loneliness and lack of friendship may be solved through the contemplation and understanding of the rhythm and unfolding progress that characterize God's universe. Christian Science teaches that all of God's children live together in harmony and helpfulness. At the same time each individual has a distinct part to play in the symphony of being. No one can usurp this activity or steal it from him. It is our individual responsibility to express to the fullest extent all the goodness, love, truth, intelligence, spirituality, purity, and joy which God bestows upon us. With thoughts filled with these qualities, which ever find expression, no room remains for loneliness, self-pity, personal ambition, pride, or any of the discordant beliefs of mortal mind.
The only way to true happiness is to live in accordance with divine Principle, Love. Expressing Love in all our contacts, we find evidence that Principle and Love are being expressed toward us as well, and this reciprocation constitutes true happiness, satisfaction, and progress. Since our expression of Love is as important and necessary as that of another, it is not enough to feel that another individual should express more love to us; we too must express more love to him.
The rhythm of Spirit demands that each one must do his full share of expressing harmony and love, even though to human sense our love may seem to meet with no response. However, we have the assurance from the Bible (Luke 6:18), "Give, and it shall be given unto you," indicating that our devotion to Principle and Love will inevitably find its reward.
Just as rhythm and harmony in music cannot be expressed by a single note, so the rhythm, harmony, and progress of our experience depend upon and are linked with the spiritual progress and happiness of everyone else. We cannot and do not live isolated, solitary lives unrelated to others. Our being depends upon God, divine Mind, and the harmony and progress we all express are derived from this one and only-source Mrs. Eddy says in "Miscellaneous Writings" (pp. 82, 83): "Immortal Mind is God, immortal good; in whom the Scripture saith 'we live, and move, and have our being.' This Mind, then, is not subject to growth, change, or diminution, but is the divine intelligence, or Principle, of all real being; holding man forever in the rhythmic round of unfolding bliss, as a living witness to and perpetual idea of inexhaustible good."
