Divine Oneness

The secret spring of love and compassion which Christ Jesus, the master Christian, manifested during his life-work, was based upon his scientific statement, “I and my Father are one.” He was so clearly conscious of the truth of being that those who came to him for healing were immediately freed. By this same conscious unity with God, good, he was able to protect himself from the opposing or unspiritual thought of those around him.

That Jesus lived the divine nature which he reflected is shown in his tender love and consideration for his disciples; in his compassion for the tired multitudes; in his freedom from resentment when wronged. When he was betrayed into the hands of his enemies, instead of sharing his disciples’ indignation, he rebuked it; instead of rejoicing in an enemy’s hurt, he healed him; and instead of condemning his would-be murderers, he prayed for them. What has this unselfed life done for us? It has given us a fuller understanding of the nature of God, divine Mind, who can be known only through the ideas which reflect Him. The teachings of Christian Science show us how the divine nature, manifested in the life of the great Nazarene, can be demonstrated through the understanding of the allness of God, divine Mind, and of man’s unity with God.

In the Christian Science textbook, “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” Mrs. Eddy gives us this helpful definition (p. 591): “Mind. The only I, or Us; the only Spirit, Soul, divine Principle, substance, Life, Truth, Love; the one God; not that which is in man, but the divine Principle, or God, of whom man is the full and perfect expression; Deity, which outlines but is not outlined.” There is but one “I, or Us.” This understanding takes away the sense of a personal, humanly circumscribed mind. How tender and compassionate we should be toward humanity, bound by an erring finite sense of existence, if we are to succeed in drawing it to ponder this wonderful truth! Before we knew of Christian Science we were not accustomed to think or speak of Deity as divine Mind. How our Leader, Mrs. Eddy, must have contemplated it, enlarged upon it in her thought, and applied it again and again in ever widening circles, in order to give us that definition, which conveys the correct view of God and man! There is nothing that can take away from us the privilege of expressing divine Mind, “the only I or Us.”

Since Mind is the only real substance, those seeking material substance need to learn, even as did the disciples when the five thousand were fed through the multiplication of “five barley loaves, and two small fishes,” that Mind-substance is ever present. We must avail ourselves of this truth by making use of it. Through gaining a deeper spiritual understanding, one sees the necessity of hallowing every expression of Mind; for in doing so each is taking a part in the healing of the whole world from the belief in evil as real. Therefore, every demonstration made through the understanding of divine Mind lessens the sum total of error and the fear of it for all the world. In God’s universe there is nothing unlike Himself, nothing unlike good.

“Unhallowed thought He could not plan—
Love’s work and Love must fit.”

The expression of divine Mind must partake of the nature of its origin. Then, instead of nursing into seeming reality the imperfections of mortals, we should rejoice in the divine nature of God’s idea, man. Love, consideration, compassion, forbearance are ever at-one with Mind; and the real man always has reflected and ever will reflect these qualities. These eternal facts expose the unreal nature of so-called mortal existence; and the student of Christian Science is blessed in proportion as he faithfully and steadfastly puts this teaching into practice.

How feeble and wavering was our trust before we realized the complete protection which the understanding of the oneness and allness of God, divine Mind, gives to us! Each one has essentially similar experiences; therefore, we must be very patient and gentle with others, however feeble their trust may be, if we are to open the prison doors for them and help them to prove the inseparability of God and spiritual man.

The absolute trust of Jesus in the Father’s ability to meet every human need is shown in his words at the tomb of Lazarus, when “he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth;” and, as we read, “he that was dead came forth.” Increasing trust must be placed in God as the only Mind, if we are to follow in the footsteps of our Master and daily prove our divine oneness with the Father. Then will these words of Zechariah be more clearly seen to point to the ever present dominion and oneness of good: “The Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.”