Christ-lighted peaks and mountain dawns
What I noticed first was how dark it was. I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. Some family members and I had decided to get an early start up to the top of one of Colorado’s 14,000-foot peaks. We’d hit the trail way before sunrise. Unable to glean even a sliver of the moon’s glow, we turned on our headlamps. We could see only a few steps ahead, but that was enough to keep us progressing toward our goal – even if we couldn’t yet see it.
Then, through no effort of our own, the day began to emerge. Gently at first, in tones of gentle gray – and as we ascended, a break in the forest canopy revealed the surrounding peaks painted a brilliant rosy red, brushed by morning light. It was breathtaking in its beauty – and cheering in its promise. We were on our way! Nothing could hold back the advancing day!
It occurred to me that this mountain dawn was like the dawning of spiritual light in consciousness – it often comes gently at first, but steadily and surely. This light comes to everyone! Nothing can hold it back. But we may not always recognize its coming.
The Bible identifies this light as Christ. The prophets had long anticipated a time when the light of Christ would come into the world. And it did so with such brilliance that it ultimately overturned assumptions about life as mortal, instead revealing the kingdom of God, Spirit, to be right at hand.
Jesus brought to light the message of Christ, Truth. He said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12). He showed the power of Christ to transform every aspect of human existence. From his birth, to his prolific healing works, to overcoming death, Christ Jesus overturned the seeming foundations of material existence. He did this by revealing God’s creation, including each of us, to be spiritual and perfect right now. And, as Jesus also said, “Ye are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). The same Christ that animated Jesus is here to illuminate our life as well.
Once when I was working as a wilderness ranger, I became suddenly ill. I was alone in the backcountry and managed to put up my tent and crawl inside, but I was weak and fearful about an internal pain that had become more acute. I realized that I needed to turn from the dark mortal view of my situation to a more enlightened spiritual view.
Right where the material senses reported pain and illness, Christ revealed the underlying spiritual truth of my God-maintained health and wholeness. As I prayed, the spiritual truth of my being became brighter and brighter to me, until it outshone the darkness of fear and illness. I was healed and back to work within a half-hour.
Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of Christian Science and founder of this news organization, referred to Christ-based healing as being as natural “as darkness giv[ing] place to light” (“Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” p. xi). Spiritual ideas that come to us in our dark hours come as naturally and as surely as the dawn. Following Jesus up the mount of spiritual revelation, we will catch many dawns. Christ lights our way!
