The Chart of Life

Thanks to the wonderful Lessons and Bible Studies at this church, I have begun to understand how Christian Science reveals the spiritual meaning of the Bible and how to apply it to my life. Recently we read about the Exodus from Egypt and the crossing of the Red Sea. The Lessons also spoke of the “great gulf” between Dives and Abraham.

It occurred to me some time ago that before I came to Plainfield, I could not see my way forward, and now that I am here I can’t see the way back. That helped me to understand what the “great gulf” is. But then, more recently, I realized that all of us need to have our own Exodus from Egypt (the slavery of mortal mind), which must include our own crossing of the Red Sea — that great gulf! — if we are to get closer to God.

If we need to have that Red Sea moment, then perhaps we need to come to other moments that are shown in the Bible. Looking at other Lessons I’ve studied in this church, I can see that I have, at various times, been: the hard-hearted pharaoh; the ungrateful murmurer; the Chaldee looking for a mystical sign; the seeker of a king; the condemning Pharisee; the sumptuously faring Dives; the suffering Lazarus; and, the Judas betraying Jesus. I am sure those are just a few of many similarities!

That is when I understood why the Bible is called “The Chart of Life.” Not only did these events occur, but they will in some way occur for each of us, and through our understanding of Christian Science and the Bible, we will be ready to face every one of them. This shows me the important reason to study the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures together: These books teach us how to use Christian Science to handle every situation we could ever encounter, with Truth and Love. What a wonderful way to equip us for this journey!