Undisturbed amid the churn

A few years ago I was canoeing some rapids with a friend who is a champion kayaker. I had no experience with these water sports and was trusting my friend completely, paddling hard the way he told me to, as the canoe was tossed about. It was tempting to just let the canoe be carried along. But he insisted that we keep on paddling, otherwise the river would be in charge, and we would not be navigating the canoe.

This river was as familiar to him as the mountain roads he drove every day. He could anticipate a change in the current or hidden shallows below the surface by the light reflected on the water or the way the waves were breaking. My friend was seeing through a different lens than I was, and then translating his understanding into guidance that I could follow, which enabled us to calmly and successfully make it through.

This has been a useful lesson for everyday life, too. Sometimes when we look at the world around us, we may feel tossed about by the turbulence of war, political division, or dysfunction in our bodies or homes. How can we find a deep and settled sense of peace in the midst of this?

A shift in perspective is key. Through my study and practice of Christian Science, I’ve found that when we look to God for perspective, rather than ruminating on problems, we find comfort, strength, and healing.

Mary Baker Eddy, who founded the church that publishes this news publication, described the Bible as the “chart of life, where the buoys and healing currents of Truth are pointed out” (“Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” p. 24).

We too can turn to the Bible as a reliable “chart of life.” In its first chapter, which describes God’s creation, a sense of order, provision, and purpose is expressed throughout. It points to the spiritual structure supporting the unfoldment of God’s plan, and man – which includes all of us – as created in God’s image, spiritual, complete, and blessed. In truth, each of us expresses the divine qualities of our creator.

We each have the capacity to know and understand this relationship to God, which brings great blessings. But it isn’t found by looking to the material senses. God is Spirit, and therefore we discern the reality of God’s creation through spiritual sense. Spiritual sense is intrinsic to our identity as God’s children.

So if what we’re seeing or experiencing doesn’t express order, grace, and peace, we can look through the lens of Spirit for God’s view. Science and Health refers to “the translation of man and the universe back into Spirit” (p. 209). This doesn’t mean ignoring what’s going on. Rather, when things do get turbulent, we can affirm everyone’s ability to witness the presence and power of God, good, right where we are. As we do this, we see that inharmony doesn’t have legitimate standing or power over us, because it could never be part of God’s creation. Christ Jesus proved this through his many healing works.

I had a modest experience along these lines as my canoeing friend and I were coming to the end of the course. There was a sharp drop and a patch of water roiling around some rocks, and we capsized. I was caught underwater and had no idea which way was up. As the water churned all around me, I reached out to God, knowing that God is always present, guiding and protecting us.

At that moment I found that I could breathe, even though it was dark. I realized that my head was now above water and I was floating along under the overturned canoe, which had created a protective space for me. I felt at peace and tremendously grateful for the tangible sense of God’s presence despite the turbulence outside. When I popped out from under the canoe, I found my friend clutching on to the outside of the canoe. We were both completely unharmed.

The Psalmist writes, “If I ... dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me” (Psalms 139:9, 10). And Science and Health explains, “Undisturbed amid the jarring testimony of the material senses, Science, still enthroned, is unfolding to mortals the immutable, harmonious, divine Principle ...” (p. 306).

Whatever kind of turbulent waters we may see or experience, with the Bible as our “chart of life” we can find greater confidence and peace as we go forward, holding to the spiritual fact that God’s law of good is always active. And we will increasingly see that goodness, harmony, and order expressed in tangible ways.