'A great calm'

WHILE our family was camping overnight along a Great Lakes beach, a tremendous storm blew up. Our lightweight but well-designed tent kept us dry. But for three hours the rain drummed, bright lightning flashes lighted up the tent, and the thunder boomed almost incessantly! I couldn't sleep.

During the flashes of light, I glanced over at the children and smiled. They were sleeping peacefully. It reminded me of when Christ Jesus was asleep in a boat during a storm on the Sea of Galilee. His frantic disciples woke him, saying, ''Lord, save us: we perish.'' They probably didn't understand how he could be so calm, apparently oblivious of the storm. The account goes on to tell us that Jesus ''rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.'' n1

n1 Matthew 8:25, 26.

The depth of Jesus' inner spiritual calm enabled him to dissolve turmoil that appeared to be external to him. Not only was he able to still the storm; he was also able to move through scenes of violence and hatred. Once, a mob tried to push him headlong over the edge of a steep hill. But he was able to pass through the angry crowd, unharmed. n2

n2 see Luke 4:28-30.

Obviously, such signs show more than human poise. Never has a man walked this earth so endowed with the tender assurance of divine Love, so full of the power of God, so free from fear. The Master fully embodied the Christ, the divine influence blessing humanity, and the Christ is still very much here, truly as powerful and accessible now as it was then. When received, this Christ , the pure saving truth from God, brings our real identity as spiritual man to light, protecting and saving us. Mary Baker Eddy n3 writes, ''This Christ, or divinity of the man Jesus, was his divine nature, the godliness which animated him.'' n4

n3 the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science.

n4 Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p.26.

The Christ speaks to our thought in ways that penetrate and dissolve the disturbances and fears we may be facing. Through the activity of Christ the spiritual fact of God's goodness and eternal presence breaks gently upon us with healing results.

So many times I've felt the wonderful calm of divine Love's presence. For instance, years ago I was struggling with a heavy feeling of responsibility and burden. My family had so many pressing needs, and I couldn't see how these could all be met. I was upset, tired, and felt nervous, mentally and physically.

One night all the pressures became very difficult to bear. My desk was piled with bills, the children were crying, and my headache epitomized the pressure and fear I had let in. Longing deeply for peace and reassurance, I opened my Bible. Reading through a portion of Jesus' ministry, I began to glimpse again the remarkable calm that flowed through the narrative. Then I read, ''Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.'' n 5

n5 Luke 121:32.

I felt a wonderful, comforting current of deep spiritual calm. This couldn't have come from the words themselves printed on the page. It would have to have come from the Christ, the divine influence pouring into my ready thought. I felt it. And I was healed and unafraid.

That breaking through of the Christ was very significant. Things began looking up. I know that the calm I was feeling didn't have its source in a thicker checkbook or personal aid. It didn't come from any personal sense of confidence. It came from the Christ, God's healing message, the same source of Jesus' calm.

We can walk this earth with wisdom and assurance, without fear. Christian Science helps us understand the life and teachings of Christ Jesus, and how we can find in them what he intended us and all generations to find. Whenever you are tempted to feel upset or afraid, remember that you can prove that the Christ is with you. DAILY BIBLE VERSE Thou will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever. Isaiah 26:3,4