Signs Spiritual
WHAT do you suppose the news reports of Jesus' final days would have said? If current-day media attention had been focused on the events surrounding his ruthless crucifixion, we might have heard speculation that his followers were left in disarray and confusion, that his beliefs were of little help to him in his greatest need and died with him on the cross, and that history would forget his brief presence.
Yet, that wasn't the end. Follow-up stories were filed on the events of the life of the greatest man who ever lived. Those stories, recorded in the Bible, tell of his resurrection from the grave as the result of his own prayers and demonstration of God's power--a feat never equaled on the face of the earth.
How important it is, then, to listen to the wisdom that God supplies in order to see the whole picture--to judge reality less by the signs material and more by the signs spiritual.
In the early seventies we saw and heard reports that the hopes of freedom fighters of a former East bloc country were dashed as military tanks rolled through their streets. But those tanks could not eliminate that taste of freedom. Not surprisingly, we're seeing more and more countries emerging from tyranny, and many others beginning their struggle for freedom from dictatorial regimes.
There is much work that still needs to be done to bring liberty to those nations, however. We must be firm in the knowledge that the desire to define more clearly one person's inherent individuality does not require the elimination of another's individuality and freedom. Ultimately, the evil elements of suppression, hatred, murder, ignorance, will be washed clean from all peoples with mankind's recognition of the spiritual fact that we are all sisters and brothers created by an all-powerful, infinite God , good, the Father of us all.
Speaking of the nearness of God to heal human events, and the fulfillment of St. John's promise in the book of Revelation in the Bible of ``a new heaven and a new earth,'' one of the most victorious freedom fighters of recent history writes in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: ``Take heart, dear sufferer, for this reality of being will surely appear sometime and in some way. There will be no more pain, and all tears will be wiped away. When you read this, remember Jesus' words, `The
kingdom of God is within you.' This spiritual consciousness is therefore a present possibility.'' In these words, the Discoverer of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, illumined the importance of adhering--clinging if need be--to the spiritual fact that God has created each of His children to express freedom, harmony, and peace. This is the kingdom of God within us.
This spiritual nature of man isn't always easy to remember, however, as we see rules and laws instituted that attempt to prohibit the free practice of religion and the natural reliance on God for healing. But we should not be tempted to believe their threat can eliminate or hinder the infinite power God alone has to heal without fail and to deliver us from those very prohibitions to practice Christianity as Christ Jesus taught us to.
Our continued prayers are needed to uplift all mankind and help us all to focus on the signs spiritual. The real report accurately states the reality of God's ability and power to free His creation from enslavement; it must be broadcast in our hearts and minds. That which leads mankind to seek the removal of tyranny from every aspect of our lives is Christian Science. We can continue to watch and pray that mankind trust God's government to build our foundation for daily living. This divine government can
never be overthrown.
