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Deutsch“Find Your Inner Child in the Light of God’s Perfect Day”
Metaphysical Application Ideas for: The Christian Science Quarterly Bible Lesson on
Reality
for September 23—29, 2024
by Craig L. Ghislin, C.S. of Godfrey, Illinois
craig.ghislincs@icloud.com / (630)-830-8683; cell/text (630)-234-3987
The Golden Text reads: “…all of you are children of the light and children of the day” (I Thess. 5:5 all (to 1st.) (International Standard Version). Throughout the Scriptures “day” represents illumination, intelligence, and the dawning of new inspiration.
When Paul calls us “children of the light and children of the day” he’s saying that Christian believers recognize the truth of Jesus’ teachings and their power to break through the darkness of ignorance, sin, and fear, thus enabling us to see God’s creation as it really is. Paul’s use of the word “day” also alludes to Jesus’ resurrection, and to a time of salvation where goodness will reign.
There are also several references in this Lesson to children. The Responsive Reading (Isa. 49:8 (to 2nd.), 9-12 (to 1st.), 13), from the International Children’s Bible, brings a fresh view to very familiar passages. To borrow from Hymn 58 in the Christian Science Hymnal, they have “eager ears, expectant, joyful, and they’re ready” to hear and obey God’s word. For children every day is a new adventure, and the world is filled with freshness. So should it be for all of us. Every day is brand new, and each day is “God’s Day” filled with infinite possibilities.
“God’s day,” or, “the day of the Lord,” isn’t a finite period of time within a linear framework. Isaiah tells us God answers us “at the right time.” God’s time is the eternal now. Just as every day is God’s Day, every time is the right time. As the light and truth of God’s Day dawns on us, we are freed from darkness and ignorance. When the light of truth shines, no matter where we seem to be, we will find all our needs met. Even in unhospitable, barren surroundings, we will still be safe and well nourished. The light of God’s Day also brings happiness, joy, and comfort.
Paul echoes Isaiah’s sentiment in virtually the same words. “God says, ‘I heard your prayers at the right time…” Paul adds, “I tell you that the ‘right time’ is now. The ‘day of salvation’ is now” (II Cor. 6:2).
Section 1: “Let there be light.”
In Scripture, creation begins with God’s command, “Let there be light” (citation B1, Gen. 1:1, 3, 4, 5 And the evening). Theologian Adam Clarke (c1760-1832) writes, light is “the grand medium by which all His other works are discovered, examined, and understood, so far as they can be known.” Another progressive clergyman for his time, Albert Barnes (1798-1870), noted, Genesis doesn’t identify a source for this light. It preexisted as a divine idea and was manifested through God’s word. The Discoverer of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, also observes that “though solar beams are not yet included in the record of creation, still there is light” (SH 504:6-9).
The psalmist reminds us to remember that every day is the day “the Lord hath made” (cit. B2, Ps. 118:24, 27 (to:)). We should be glad and rejoice in it. When I’ve been in my most dark and confused periods of life, I would echo the psalmist’s plea as I lay in the dark— “Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning…” (cit. B3, Ps. 143:8, 10). I’d remind myself that every day is God’s Day, and that I will be glad to accept whatever He / She has for me. I found contentment knowing God would provide whatever I needed for that day.
Although I couldn’t identify the feeling at the time, I can now see that I was embracing a childlike perspective, reminding myself to approach every new day with wonder. If we trust God, there’s nothing to worry about.
The translation of the verses from Psalm 143:8, 10 from the International Children’s Bible put it nicely:
Tell me in the morning about your love. I trust you.
Show me what to do because my prayers go up to you…
…Teach me to do what you want, because you are my God.
Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
The Author of the Christian Science textbook Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures writes, “All reality is in God and His creation, harmonious and eternal.” (cit. S1, SH 472:24-26 All). In the light of her discovery, she saw everything from a spiritual perspective. She defines “Day” as “The irradiance of Life; light, the spiritual idea of Truth and Love” (S2, 584:1-4).
Mary Baker Eddy read the creation story in Genesis as allegory, and noted that the days of creation were not about solar time. They were the unfolding of spiritual ideas (cit. S3, 504:16-20). As spiritual sense displaces material sense testimony our understanding of reality is illumined (cit. S4, 510:9). The dividing line between the real and the unreal is defined by our spiritual understanding. The author defines this understanding as neither intellectual, nor scholarly. Rather, it’s the “reality of all things brought to light” (cit. S6, 505:20-28).
Section 2: How Long Is a Day?
When things are going well for us, most of us don’t give much thought to the subject of what’s real and what isn’t. We’re more than happy to float along and hope all will go well if things begin to get difficult. It’s not until we run into some serious trouble that we begin to look deeply for answers beyond what the senses can see. The psalmist though, always puts God first, and says that even a day spent in worshipping God and delving into spiritual pursuits is better than a thousand days of frivolous amusement (cit. B4, Ps. 84:8, 10, 11). He knows that being prepared and trusting in God ahead of the troubles is the way to go.
Hezekiah found himself facing a serious challenge (cit. B5, Isa. 38:1 (to 1st.), 2-5, 7, 8). In fact, he was told to prepare for death. His concern though wasn’t only for himself. He knew that dying without leaving an heir to the throne would disrupt the kingdom. Realizing God as his only hope, he prayed. His prayers were answered and as proof, the sun moved backward ten degrees. We have no way of knowing whether, or not, that really happened, but we can imagine that perhaps this miraculous sign represented Hezekiah’s reflecting back on his life and actions. His “day” so to speak had been as if time was rewound, and in that expanded light, he may have seen something that transformed his character.
Mary Baker Eddy tells us that as the light of spiritual understanding illuminates our consciousness, the evidence of the senses disappears (cit. S7, 584:4). To spiritual sense time isn’t measured by the clock or calendar. It’s measured by the amount of good that God unfolds. So, if no good has unfolded, no time has passed. Rather than a passage of time, each “year” represents a period of unfolding goodness (cit. S8, 246:25). Hezekiah’s suffering forced him to seek a more spiritual outlook. We often declare that we’re “tired” of a problem. But change doesn’t happen until we’re willing to let go of it and turn to Spirit (cit. S9, 318:18).
But we don’t have to wait until something gets so bad that we have no choice but to turn to Spirit in desperation. We’re always able, at any time, to rise with spiritual strength to resist and defy any belief opposed to God (cit. S10, 393:12-13, 16-18, 32). But as we do, we must remember that evil, disease, sin, and death are never real—even temporarily. A lie is always a lie, and the truth is always true. Our textbook says the realities of divine Science are “Life, Truth, and Love” (cit. S11, 298:2-4).
I love the idea that the appearance of these realities is like the dawn. No matter how dark it gets, the dawn cannot be stopped. When things get rough, we often tend to avoid the darkness—figuratively chasing the sun by heading West. But that takes a whole lot longer than facing the dark and turning East. That’s where the sun is coming up, not going down. The first rays of light revealing reality, come with our faith and brighten as our understanding expands.
Section 3: Not Aging, but Growing into Spiritual Maturity
To human sense as days accumulate, our strength and vitality diminish. As the saying goes, “Time stops for no man.” Not only does it appear that our physical and mental capacities diminish, but we also seem to lose our childlike expectancy. Being aware of this, the psalmist pushes back. Recalling that he has always trusted God to guide, protect and strengthen him from his earliest years, he prays that he retains the lightness, freedom, and expectancy of his youth throughout his life. He expects that God will continue to give him the strength necessary to accomplish his life’s work (cit. B6, Ps. 71:5, 9, 15-18, 24 (to:).
When the psalmist says, God “girds” him with strength, and makes his way “perfect” (cit. B7, Ps. 18:32) he refers to the multiple uses of a man’s cloth belt, called a “girdle.” For running or other physical labor, men pulled up their long tunics and tucked the bulk of fabric into the girdle. As Clarke puts it: “The strength of God was to his soul what the girdle was to the body”—the necessary tool to allow greater physical activity. Also, according to Strong, the word “perfect” means “fully mature.” So, rather than aging into decay and decline, God is supporting our growth toward spiritual maturity. The psalmist goes beyond simply pledging to bless the Lord every day of his life. His pledge is forever—thus transcending a finite mortal lifetime (cit. B8, Ps. 145:2).
When we consider that God doesn’t merely give us life but IS our Life, we can see why the author considers the reality of Life to be deathless (cit. S12, 487:27). We tend to think of life in linear terms, but Life isn’t confined to a linear timeline. Life is eternal—outside of time (cit. S13, 468:28-1). That means we are neither young nor old, we just are (cit. S14, 244:23 (only)). Again, Science and Health uses the noonday sun as a symbol of life in its fullness and glory (cit. S15, 246:4-6, 11-13, 17-25). Only this sun never sets. The Science of Christianity reveals that the calendar doesn’t define us. Life isn’t chronological, it’s eternal. It’s a wonderful image to view what seems to be aging, as man ripening into maturity (cit. S16, 248:5). Rather than becoming dull, our faculties sharpen into spiritual clarity (cit. S17, 486:23-26).
God is our Life, and Life doesn’t create us, only to separate from us, leaving us struggling to survive. In reality, God, the divine Mind, is Life, and as such, this divine intelligence naturally maintains its idea (cit. S18, 151:23-24, 26-28).
Section 4: A Day in the Life…
In the parable of the laborers in the vineyard (cit. B11, Matt. 20:1-14), a day could also represent a lifetime or symbolize the whole of human history. There are a variety of interpretations for this story. The basic message is, no matter when either an individual or a group of people answer God’s call to labor in His vineyard—early or later in life, or in centuries—everyone receives the same reward. In the parable those hired in the morning are upset because those hired at the end of the day earn the same wage for working less.
At face value, this does seem unfair. But as I think about it, I realize that this is due to two suppositions. First, we assume that the labor is toilsome and difficult—if not outright unpleasant. Second, we assume that the reward is finite.
When you consider that working for God is a great blessing, those who sign on early have the benefit of a head start in enjoying the infinite richness of working for God, and the work is its own reward. Also, when you consider that the reward is entry into the kingdom of heaven, either soon or late, what larger reward could anyone ask for?
As mentioned, many times before, Strong defines “grace” as “the divine influence on the heart and its reflection in the life.” We could adjust that to: “the influence of reality on the heart and its manifestation in our experience.” To human sense, God’s impartiality toward man seems miraculous, but it’s totally natural to divine Love (cit. S19, 494:15 (only)). Material minded reasoning always takes a limited view of things, but Love is both timeless and universal (cit. S20, 13:2). Waking to reality is always available to everyone. Notice that the “householder’s” invitation to those standing in the marketplace meant anyone could enter the work at any time, and everyone who joined the work had agreed to the remuneration offered them. And let’s not forget that in reality, time isn’t a factor at all. The only reason the early laborers complained is because they were believing they were living in a linear timeline. Reality is eternal (cit. S21, 335:27-28). The reason “the last shall be first and the first shall be last” is because, in reality, they’re both the same—just as the Christ is both Alpha and Omega — the beginning and the ending (cit. S22, 116:5). Time simply isn’t a factor. Whether we realize it sooner or later, entry into the kingdom of heaven is waking up to reality (cit. S23, 54:8-10 All).
Each of us can open our eyes to reality a little more each day. We aren’t asked to sit around “thinking” about the work. We are asked to enter the field and take up the labor. It may seem to take time to work up to perfection—or to our spiritually mature recognition of reality, but it’s up to us to begin (cit. S24, 233:1-5, 8). The requirement is for us to adhere—join with, become at one with—the spiritual laws that govern reality, and to apply those rules in our healing practice (cit. S25, 462:1).
Section 5: When People Are of One Mind, Something Happens
In this section we consider the Day of Pentecost (cit. B13, Acts 1:1, 2, 14; cit. B14, Acts 2:1, 4, 5, 14 Peter, 16-18). Everyone in this group of Christians joined the cause at different times. They each had their own reasons for accepting the call to join the work, and they were each at different places in their journeys, but they all had the same aim. They were of one accord. It’s notable that the Pentecost also took place on the Lord’s Day. The sabbath could also be considered metaphorically as the day of completion, as in the first chapter of Genesis when God rested from His work. The command to honor the sabbath or “the Day of the Lord” is to remember that God is the Creator. We can stop our work, rest, contemplate, and delight in the Lord. It’s a reminder that God is in charge, and the world depends on God, rather than revolving around and for us.
On the Sabbath, the disciples and others in the Christian community were all together in worship. The scriptural account says they were of one accord and in one place. The sound of a mighty wind filled the place, and there appeared over their heads something like tongues resembling fire. The wind represented the Holy Spirit that is gentle yet powerful, invisible yet always felt, symbolizing the breath of life itself. The appearance of fire symbolizes light, warmth, purification, and the presence of God.
When men from every nation heard the disciples speaking in their own language, they questioned Peter, who immediately related the event to Joel’s prophesy. This indicates the disciples’ preparedness, receptivity, humility, and devotion to scripture. Another aspect to note is that the disciples weren’t speaking gibberish. These were actual languages that everyone clearly understood.
Rather than being an anomaly, it’s safe to say that the events on the Day of Pentecost were a glimpse into reality. Jesus’ ascension was his exit from the flesh into the reality of his true spiritual nature (cit. S27, 46:13-17, 26-9). Bearing witness to this event, elevated the students’ understanding. They saw Jesus overcome every material obstacle and naturally this buoyed them up. Seeing the world in a new light, they became better healers and each one of them received the Holy Ghost.
Our textbook tells us that to find the real man we but need to turn away from the false sense of man and focus on the Christ (cit. S28, 316:3-7, 21). As our false sense of self is transformed into our true spiritual identity, we spontaneously reflect God, shining as a beacon for the entire universe (cit. S29, 266:27-29).
Section 6: The Perfect Day
In John’s vision he beheld a new heaven and earth not with his eyes, but through his spiritual sense (cit. B15, Rev. 21:2, 3, 23-25). The Bridgeway Bible Commentary says, “John’s visions symbolize spiritual realities…They are not pictures of the physical characteristics of the new heaven and the new earth…not an improved version of the present earthly city…but [of a world] completely replaced by a new order.” There is no night in this city, nor is there a partition between God and creation. This light of God implies excellence, wisdom, holiness and happiness permeating every facet of being. This light, writes Barnes, isn’t “the light, or a light, but light itself…the source and fountain of light in all worlds.” In other words, this forever day is the light of reality.
John clarifies this when he writes, “in him is no darkness at all” (cit. B16, I John 1:5). Our aim can coincide with the psalmist’s prayer to be led by God’s truth “all the day”—continually dependent on God alone at all times (cit. B17, Ps. 25:5).
As light destroys darkness, Truth destroys erroneous ways of thinking, thus revealing the reality of our true selfhood (cit. S30, 288:31-2). Temporal existence beclouds our view of reality. Everything real transcends the limited belief of a linear timeline. Perfection underlies reality because perfection denotes the fullness of a mature—a fully ripened and complete creation (cit. S31, 353:14-17 Time).
So, how much of this reality are we adhering to? Are we embracing its healing power? If we do, as children of the day, we will see that light increase until we see the perfect day of reality (cit. S32, 496:9-13 Ask).
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