Millions of youngsters begin school this autumn, some of them for the first time. Thousands of men and women are taking on different jobs, some just entering the job market; others are starting retirement. Families are moving into areas strange to them, and babies are being born into unfamiliar environments. All these new beginnings are potentially wonderful growing times. They're usually accompanied by excitement, some of which is joyous anticipation, but some is fear. An understanding of the eternality of God and His Christ replaces the abruptness of new beginnings with a cushion of continuity.
The Christ is the never-ending voice that tells us of God's presence, conveying His knowledge and foreknowledge, enabling daily activity to coincide with unchanging divine goodness. Christian Science both adds to our love and appreciation of Jesus and enables us to better live our own lives because Science makes a clear distinction between Jesus and the Christ. The Discoverer and Founder of this Science, Mary Baker Eddy, writes, "The advent of Jesus of Nazareth marked the first century of the Christian era, but the Christ is without beginning of years or end of days." A few lines later she continues, "Jesus referred to this unity of his spiritual identity thus: 'Before Abraham was, I am;' 'I and my Father are one;' 'My Father is greater than I.'" Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 333;
What if it is that child's first day at nursery school? Before the school ever began, the little one in his or her true being possessed all knowledge, preexisting as well as coexisting with God, the infinite Father-Mother. Nothing is new to the Christliness of the child's true consciousness. Knowing this, one can see it is perfectly natural for that first day of school, as well as subsequent ones, to be harmonious, filled with a cozy awareness of the presence of Love.
Maybe our new beginning has to do with a different job or a strange community, and we find our usual ways of doing some things out of step. We may be able to bring a refreshing newness to the situation or so feel the largess of true spiritual being that we incorporate change without pain. Acting with Christly vision is never a personal accomplishment. There is one Christ as there is one God, and our Christliness is demonstrated in mutual understanding and appreciation.
New beginnings almost always involve new relationships. An understanding of the Christ can make the difference between embracing each other in love, and allowing an unnatural, unnecessary exclusion to hold sway. An individual consciously aware of his own true selfhood can do wonders in breaking down fear and the suspicion that would attempt to justify it. Attuned to eternal, spiritual truth, such a one naturally is less conscious of material selfhood and less disturbed by superficial appearances, though not asleep to what might prove to be real danger. This kind of "self-consciousness" blesses others besides freeing one from the buffeting of being a new, odd, perhaps even threatening, personality.
Understanding the universality and oneness of the Christ enables friendships to form despite age and cultural differences. More than escaping abrasive relationships or even establishing pleasant ones is involved. As we approach any new relationship from the basis of a truly Christian understanding, we are uniting our efforts with blessed peacemakers throughout the centuries.
Christ Jesus apparently spent most of his time quite openly with friends and followers even when he was challenging the very basis of a materialistic religion and culture. Then, when he had to stand alone, he said, "I am not alone, because the Father is with me." John 16:32;
We too can stand alone and yet not be alone in new experiences. As we make each beginning a time for greater exploration into true being, we find the new territory not necessarily strange. We might say, as Mrs. Eddy did when she described taking her first steps into understanding the Science of Christ: "The divine hand led me into a new world of light and Life, a fresh universe—old to God, but new to His 'little one.'" Retrospection and Introspection, pp. 27-28;
God cannot know beginnings and endings and strangeness. Changed standpoints, enlightened by the Christ, are recognized as a reflection of the unfoldment of that reality "old to God," which we now see as fresh revelation. We're less afraid to change.
Christian Science eschews the popular concept of chance and change; yet it calls for many changes on the human scene. This may be a call to us to separate carefully change from chance—to check out pending new beginnings. Do they flow from unvarying Principle? Might they be tinged with change for change's sake and therefore chancy?
As we monitor carefully the changes in our lives, removing them from the influence of chance, then our new beginnings are freed from mere happenstance. The Christliness of our own being leads us in ways of Mind's outlining. Being true to our spiritual self—the real us—we find new beginnings with fewer unsettling surprises. Beginnings are shorn as well of false expectations with their disappointments. We may find ourselves less likely to dodge legitimate experiences just because we haven't had them before, or to procrastinate starting.
In Isaiah, God is revealed as "declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." Isa. 46:10. Man as God's very image and likeness reflects this all-knowing God. When we turn in prayer for direction to accomplish a new task, or even to discover the task to be done, we find it logical to recognize that God does indeed know "the end from the beginning." Through Christ He is declaring it and revealing His counsel and pleasure. Relating this spiritual fact to what lies before us, we know the next step to take.
The wonderful quality of initiative is more freely expressed when the wholeness of the Christ view is reflected. False starts, fearful endings, tentative beginnings, are outside the ken of true knowing, and we can be relieved of their impressions. A glimpse of the eternality of the universe and man's immortal being gives to whatever step we are considering today a link to continuous unfoldment, or else this step disappears from our planning.
Demonstrating the continuous unfolding of eternal being frees from suddenness any fresh start we might make today. We won't have to stop the world in order to get on; rather, we'll swing into place without anyone missing a step.
