Day 112: The Problem of Being

217:6-219:5

Today's section reminds me of when the Sentinal changed formats a few years back. Before the change, the articles in the magazine were fairly deep and assumed a certain level of Christian Science education before beginning to read them. They were also written in a stiff and boring manner at times. Then, after the change, the articles were more introductory and lively -- almost as if they were C.S. for the layman. There were other changes but the overall complaint I heard was the "dumbing down" of the Sentinel.

I didn't agree with this point of view but I could appreciate that a deeper level of C.S. was no longer available in the magazine.

So back to the reading for today. Mary Baker Eddy is done with the introductory material. She has made her points on several levels and she is moving into the deeper logic of Christian Science. At this point, the reader is either still with her or will probably close the book. That's my opinion and mine alone. But I just wanted to note that we are headed into deeper territory here. Someone interested in attacking C.S. or not really interested in the Spiritual aspects of it won't understand or give latitude to the rest of the material. Since that's not my deal, I'll move on.

The first point MBE makes that I underlined was:

When mentality gives rest to the body, the next toil will fatique you less, for you are working out the problem of being in divine metaphysics;

The use of words "the problem of being" is well put. That is really what I'm working on. It would be difficult for me to sum up my spiritual status right now because it is so personal and taken a life time to get here and my here definitely not your here.

In the remainder of the passage, she has three ideas that caught me: false-talking, self-correction, and dismissal of error. In this passage, she is talking about physical or mental weariness. But, as with all her points, I try to apply it to what I'm working on or just a higher level.

Mortal mind does the false talking, and that which affirms weariness, made that weariness. 

That last bit, "that which affirms weariness, made that weariness" is the point I found interesting. Substitute weariness for whatever sin or sickness you are working on, and you get the idea. An example is "that which affirms the flu, made the flu."

Mary Baker Eddy provides the solution to this in two different ideas of self-correction and sudden dismissal of error. A nice process for ending my sympathy with error.