Day 58: Christian Science on 1 Page

107:1-109:31

Mary Baker Eddy presents a complete picture of Christian Science with two separate paragraphs.

It was the divine law of Life and Love, unfolding to me the demonstrable fact that matter possesses neither sensation nor life, that human experiences show the falsity of all material things, and that immortal cravings, “the price of learning love,” establish the truism that the only sufferer is mortal mind, for the divine Mind cannot suffer.

…the opposite of Truth, – called error, sin, sickness, disease, death, – is the false testimony of false material sense, of mind in matter; that this false sense evolves, in belief, a subjective state of mortal mind which this same so-called mind names matter, thereby shutting out the true sense of Spirit.

2010

Day 268: Literal vs. Inspired

536:30-538:22

In this section, Mary Baker Eddy makes several points about this second story that I want to remember.

1. Knowledge of evil was never the essence of divinity or manhood.
2. The purpose of the second story is to depict the falsity of error and the effects of error.
3. Inspired writers interpret the Word spiritually, while the ordinary historian interprets it literally.
4. Literally taken, the story is contradictory in places.
5. Literally taken, God’s love is changeable.
6. Literally taken, Man is not allowed to reform.

Day 262: The Tree of Knowledge

525:7-527:5

This reading pits the Tree of Life (first story) against the Tree of Knowledge (second story). It might be more clear if the tree were called Material Belief or even False Belief. The idea is that the knowledge that the tree has and imparts is not of God but of false belief. A lie.

I last sentence of the reading is:

Man is God’s reflection, needing no cultivation, but ever beautiful and complete.

Cultivation could be interpreted to mean education (academic, such as college). I have someone in my life who never extends beyond the basics of life and looks down on anyone that does – like me. If given an opportunity, I would be a professional student, always in school learning.

So I wonder if Mary Baker Eddy was worried about the influence cultivation (education) would have on a student of Christian Science. When we open ourselves (and our minds) to an education, we are asking to be influenced with knowledge.

In my opinion, while I don’t think an education is requisite for spiritual growth, education is no different than any danger that we must guard against anywhere. We must listen to God for the right ideas and hold to our own highest sense of right and let that sense of right grow.