Finding my unbreakable relation to God
When I was growing up, I had the feeling that somehow other people had a more direct connection to God than I did. Inspiration seemed to come to them more easily, and they seemed to understand God better. I had had clear proofs of the effects of divine Love (which is another name for God), but I had the impression that my access to the Divine was less well developed.
I got the idea of simply asking God for better access to Him. Step by step, I received the answer, and it unfolded in a way that was completely natural.
I began by writing out spiritual descriptions for both bigger and smaller things that I was doing. Mary Baker Eddy writes in “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” “Metaphysics resolves things into thoughts, and exchanges the objects of sense for the ideas of Soul” (p. 269). So, I was resolving “things into thoughts,” or looking more closely at the qualities that these activities stood for.
When I graduated from Christian Science Sunday School, I decided that it would be good and right to read the Bible and all of Mrs. Eddy’s writings. Doing this taught me a lot about the Science Christ Jesus proved. Mrs. Eddy’s definition of Christian Science as the law of God made a deep impression on me. The complete quotation reads: “How would you define Christian Science? As the law of God, the law of good, interpreting and demonstrating the divine Principle and rule of universal harmony” (“Rudimental Divine Science,” p. 1).
Thoughts I’d had of a deficient relation to God disappeared in the joy I was now feeling for the logic and depth of divine Science and its immediate relevance to life. And so I finally did feel a direct connection to God!
Here is an example from that time. When I finished my time as a teacher’s aide in a preschool, I was looking forward to a cycling tour in Ireland, where I would enjoy the environment, the peace and quiet, and my conscious relation to God. I had prepared spiritually for the trip, claiming the divine protection that comes from the fact that everyone is guided by God’s love.
On the second day of the tour, I was taking a break in a field when a red car stopped. A man got out and came toward me. There was no one else to be seen anywhere around. There also weren’t any other cars on the country road.
After a short moment of extreme fright, I felt God’s presence become palpable, and my fear disappeared. I walked toward the road, which meant walking toward the man. From his look, I could tell that he wanted something from me that I most certainly didn’t want, and he smelled of liquor. He gripped my arms.
Nevertheless, I slowly continued in the direction of the road. I spoke to him quietly and firmly. The man released his hold on me, got into his car, and drove off. I continued riding on the route I had planned, thanking God all the way.
Despite this incident, I was able to continue enjoying my tour. For a couple of days, I had a bad feeling whenever a red car passed me. But this fear left as I prayed to understand that one of God’s divine ideas cannot force itself on another idea. This turned out to be one of the most beautiful trips I’ve ever taken, and I look back on it happily.
When I prayed for closeness to God, I learned that I am God’s individual reflection, no more and no less. Speaking metaphorically, it was as if I were no longer looking across a river to see other people – those with direct access to God – but had gotten over to the other side where they were. Everyone has this living, unbreakable, fully valid relation to God. Any argument to the contrary vanishes in the face of God’s love.
Originally published in German on the website of The Herald of Christian Science, German Edition, March 17, 2022.
