The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-01-23
PA HdrSch, {. ). B.
Heard BY Big CnoWd
Mary Baker Eddy, Founder of
Christian Science

only TO the Bethlehem mangei
with all its deep significance. bai
through the experience of the on'
who was Graded there, into a new
and brighter world of peace anc
hope. a world newly rediscovereC
for him by Mrs. Eddy-the realm
Of Christian Science.
The story of the recovering Of
this light, first brought 10 the
world so long ago by Jesus. is on.
Of the most fascinating stories Of
modern times. Moreover. II is g
story essential to a fun apprecia.
ton of what 1t was which Mrs
Eddy brought back into con-
seriousness in 1866. II is essential
TO an understanding of what this
rediscovered truth is ready and
able to do for everyone struggling
under the burden OF some false
material belief.
The fact of course is. that this
spiritual light or understanding OF
the Christ. Truth, has always beer
present for anyone to see who had
eyes TO see" The Christian Sci
ence textbook at page 511 puts il
this way: In divine Science. which
is the seal of Deity and has the i'm
press of heaven, God is revealed as
infinite light. In the eternal Mind,
no night Is there" Glimpses of this
light, the Christ understanding
were caught by acknowledgements
men long before the time of Jesus.
but IL remained for the great Mas
ter to reveal IL in its fullness 10
the eyes of men. After his resur-
rection and ascension, for few
short years it continued to be seen,
understood. and used In daily life
by thousands OF human persons.
Then. almost incredibly it seemed
to be shut off from the world of
human consciousness. With the
exception of an occasional glimpse,
caught from time TO time, the light
was lost from the world.
Students of religious history,
watching the development of the
divine idea in human consciousness
throughout the ages, offer many
different explanations for this
phenomenon. None alters the fact
that the light was, to all practical
purposes. lost TO the conprehen-
sion of men. Yet. throughout this
entire period of darkness. the
blind cropping of mankind to re-
gain IL went on ceaselessly. Its
recovery was of incalculable i'm
portance, for II Is only when the
clear light of divine Truth breaks
in upon the seeming darkness that
the endless cropping ends and men
see clearly the true path before
them. The first great essential,
then, for mankind must and ever
will be light.
The regaining or rediscovery of
this light was to be Mrs. Eddy's
high distinction. For years she
had vainly sought through many
long-tried human avenues for
peace. health. and spiritual under
standing. The clouds seemed only
to settle more deeply. Then,
when all seemed utterly lost and
her friends believed she was about
to pass from their sight, the light
OF understanding broke. II brought
healing on its wings, healing that
could only be divine, for II came
through no human channel. The
beauty. the clarity. and natural
ness of divine Truth, the Christ,
Truth, breaking in human con-
seriousness often does bring heal
ing in just this way. The next
nine years she spent in testing
and proving her discovery. Nor
was il an easy task to find words
and phrases to suitably express
her newly-discovered understand
ing to those about her. These
years were ones of seeming strug-
gle and trial as she sought to
blaze a spiritual trail through the
deep tangle of materiality. a trail
which others might more easily
follow. At last these years bore
rich fruit in the form of the Chris
tian Science textbook which, as
We have seen. was given to the
world in 1878. Thus was Christian
Science formally and officially
presented to humanity.
Eyer-Presence Of the Chrisf-Light
That which took place in the
experience of Mrs. Eddy when the
light came to her-the incident
we spoke Of moment ago as the
discovery-was nothing new or I'M
usual. The Bible, on which Chris
tan Science is based. provides
many examples Of this penetration
OF light into human consciousness,
the process of revelation. On the
opening page of that book we find
that the first recorded act OF crea-
tive Mind, God, was the introduc-
ton of light-'Let there be light.
Where the darkness of chaos seem
ed to be. there the light of reality
of divine order and perfection. pre-
vailed Abraham saw and talked
with the angels under the great
oaks at Memre. and gained un-
doubtedly a vision of the true
light. the light of divine Truth
There were others too. Jacob
for example. perceived the high
very dimly. but it suffieed. i
came in a dream, or so il scenes
TO him. for then il was that n
saw the angels Of God ascending
and descending from heaven
Moses caught the light at tn
burning bush when God reveale'
Himself as II AN THAT ] AM.
Elijah perceived il startlingly a
Carmel, that ancient. rock-r1bbec
stored headland which thrusts II