An unlimited view of the universe
Humanity’s quest to know more about the nature and origin of life is nothing new. Christian Science brings to the table a radical premise: that existence is fundamentally spiritual, not material – and that this is a powerful basis for healing.
For millennia humanity has been seeking to understand the nature and origin of life and the universe. For instance, one worldview is that God created the physical universe. Another sees creation as a random but scientifically explainable series of physical events.
Christian Science offers a perspective on creation that differs from both of these views – and from any view that starts from the premise that life is fundamentally material. Instead, it teaches that ultimate answers to the question of the nature and origin of the universe begin with the biblical definition of God as creator (see Genesis 1) and as Spirit, as Christ Jesus taught (see John 4:24).
It follows that the creation of the divine Spirit, God, must be spiritual, not material. It is the perpetual, eternal, spiritual unfoldment or manifestation of God. This creation includes the true identity of each one of us as God’s incorporeal offspring.
I worked for 11 years as an engineer supporting research in astronomy. As much as I enjoyed that work, I knew I was never going to be able to see Spirit or Spirit’s creation through the lens of a telescope. The true, spiritual universe is infinite, limitless, and is discerned through spiritual sense, not the physical senses. We all have spiritual sense; it is our God-given ability to understand God and Spirit-based reality, the divine universe.
Some of the Pharisees, a religious sect in Jesus’ time, once asked Jesus when God’s kingdom would come. Jesus said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:20, 21, New King James Version).
The very beginning of the Bible describes this spiritual creation (see Genesis 1:1-2:5), which takes place entirely within the realm, the consciousness, of divine Mind, or God. This Mind is the source of all true being. What we perceive as the physical earth and heavens is just that: our perception. It merely hints at the beauty and grandeur of God’s infinite, spiritual creation.
In “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, describes the “days” of creation referred to in Genesis this way: “The periods of spiritual ascension are the days and seasons of Mind’s creation...” (p. 509), and “... Mind measures time according to the good that is unfolded” (p. 584). She asks, “Was not this a revelation instead of a creation?” (p. 504).
This “revelation” is described in the Bible as “very good” (Genesis 1:31). It is not the result of chaos, but of God, the divine Principle, imparting it.
A few verses later, the author of Genesis refers to a “mist” (see Genesis 2:6). This mist represents chaotic thinking that clouds the true view of creation through a mistaken belief of life and intelligence as based in matter rather than Spirit. Christ Jesus’ mission was to lift humanity above this mist.
Jesus’ ministry was practical, not abstract or theoretical. He healed the sick, calmed storms, fed multitudes in the wilderness, raised the dead. His lifework illustrated his love for humanity. His healing works came about through his deep understanding that matter-based laws of physics are subordinate to the spiritual laws of God.
Today, too, we can experience the practical value of glimpsing something of what Jesus so fully understood. As our perception of life and the universe is transformed – spiritualized – so is our day-to-day experience. For example, the recognition that God’s order and harmony govern the universe enabled me to rise above fear of the weather and fear of flying. I’ve also been healed of injuries and illnesses through prayer based on the spiritual fact of life in Spirit.
A growing understanding of God as Spirit lifts thought above a limited, material view of the universe to a spiritual one, to the kingdom of God within – within our hearts, within our consciousness, here and now – bringing healing.