Translation, Transfiguration, and Ascension

When we begin to demonstrate the infinitude of Christian Science, we begin to see that we do not have to get something “out there” to demonstrate present perfection. Perfection is not “out there,” it is within. We always have been perfect, are now, and always will be. It is only the belief of mortal mind which tells us to sin, to get sick and die. What we need is a revealing of our present perfection. How do we handle the suggestions of sin, sickness, and death? Do we turn our backs upon them and forget them? No, that would be impossible. God’s idea must continually express Him; to turn our backs upon a problem without demonstrating perfection, is to go down in defeat. We must begin to see what has been reversed. When we hear the statement that man is mortal, we turn our thoughts to God and know that His idea is ever present with Him and therefore is perfect. This is translating. It is putting the sense of things into the original, instead of changing the perfect original into an imperfect counterfeit that is liable to every error of mortal mind.

Can you translate a part of God’s goodness? No. To completely translate our being, we must translate completely. It cannot be partially done. The infinite nature of God must be realized and demonstrated.

We must translate all activities and thoughts into their proper place and handle the universal thought. For example: if there was a belief of heart attack, you must handle the belief of universal acceptance. Then you must realize that Love’s motions cannot be stopped or attacked. The universal (majority) belief would attempt to keep us in matter. We must translate all of the activities we come in contact with and thereby bring them up to a higher level of consciousness while we become a transparency for Mind. In this way, we change the basis of universal thought from a material sense of things to a spiritual sense of allness. We bring forth a more perfect individual, family, city, state, and nation. We bring forth a higher order of politics, economics, religion, and thereby cleanse humanity of their sins.

We must understand all activity and put it into the original sense of Spirit. We must understand the material base these activities dwell upon. If the base is good and the system points Godward, our job is much easier, but if it is bad and degrades mankind, we have a struggle on our hands which demands much demonstration. Mrs. Eddy clarifies the thought of translation when she says, “If you refer to the removal of a person to heaven, without his subjection to death, I modify my affirmative answer. I believe in this removal being possible after all the footsteps requisite have been taken up to the very throne, up to the spiritual sense and fact of divine substance, intelligence, Life, and Love. This translation is not the work of moments; it requires both time and eternity. It means more than mere disappearance to the human sense; it must include also man’s changed appearance and diviner form visible to those beholding him here.” (Misc. 67:27) In other words, this translation must be seen and its results felt before it can be of any use to mankind, or can even be thought of as translation. Again she says, “Christian Science translates Mind, God, to mortals.” (Misc. 22:10-11) When Christian Science is understood, it will translate humanity and humanity’s activities into the realm of Mind. Through Science we translate. We see the language of God reflected in all things and demonstrate their perfection.

Transfiguration is the changed form or appearance of someone in their character and expression. We commonly associate the word with the Transfiguration on the Mount when Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James, and John. What was the Transfiguration on the Mount and what can we learn from it? Jesus, through an understanding of translation, brought forth Moses who represented the Law, Elias who represented prophecy, the fullness of the Christ, and the Christ which Jesus brought forth which was the Science of his own being. So, for a full realization of what true transfiguration is, we must bring forth and fulfill more of the Law, the Decalogue, usher in prophecy, Elias, and bring forth more of the Christ, Science, as did the Master. We must remember that Moses and Elias did not call Jesus forth. He brought them into the oneness of Mind, the divinity of the Christ. The transfiguration was the Master’s demonstration of ascending glory which pointed to resurrection. Mrs. Eddy says, “Human lives are yet uncarved,–in the rough marble, encumbered with crude, rude fragments, and awaiting the hammering, chiselling, and transfiguration from His hand.” (Misc. 360:2) Transfiguration occurs through a knowledge and demonstration of translation which comes to life in Christian Science. The radiant light that clothed Jesus was the Christ light. It was the fulfillment of the Decalogue and prophecy. It was bringing forth light which would lead all men to the ever-present Christ.

Are we not all ascending? Are we not all demonstrating the perfection of being? The infinite nature of Love is becoming increasingly apparent to our vision and we are moment by moment ascending. The Master appeared to rise and leave the scene of his earthly experience. He did not, his thought was merely becoming more in tune with the universe which he knew was his. He did not leave his disciples, they left him. He appeared no longer to their mortal vision and therefore they thought he had gone somewhere, yet he was right there ready to be seen by those who had the vision of perfection. The limited thought of the disciples did in time ascend also, but only when their concept of the universe changed to a spiritual one. As we ascend, we do not leave a world of woe, but we are ushering in a world of goodness, the world which has always been present. Jesus’ demonstration eventually led the way to Christian Science. We too must rise to the heights of Love and leave a better state because of having passed this way.