Dive Deep

If a submarine on the ocean's surface gets caught up in waves, the commander knows what to do-dive deep. No matter how much the surface of the sea may be churning, underneath it is always calm. If swimmers get into rough surf, diving beneath the waves can help put them back in control.

The Bible shows how to go deep and find the spiritual facts of existence. In so doing, we draw closer to God and to unchanging calm. The book of Psalms says, "Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? . . . If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me" (139:7, 9, 10).

The Bible also shows that Christ Jesus was never thrown off balance by the turbulence he saw around him. Whether it was an aggressive mob, a degenerative disease, or a storm at sea, Jesus always proved God was in control. His response was never one of dismay or terror, but of uttermost calm, the calm that came from knowing there was nothing to fear with God at hand.

Once Jesus was asleep in a boat with his disciples when a violent storm arose (see Mark 4:36-41). The disciples woke him and told him of the danger. He was unmoved. He asked them why they were afraid. He stilled the wind and the sea. A great calm followed.

From studying the Bible and the words of Jesus, Mary Baker Eddy saw that the healing he accomplished was repeatable and scientific. She wrote in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: "Jesus of Nazareth was the most scientific man that ever trod the globe. He plunged beneath the material surface of things, and found the spiritual cause" (p. 313). Science and Health explains the Science of what Jesus taught, which Mrs. Eddy discovered and named Christian Science.

What was Jesus calling upon? He was calling upon the power of God, upon the ever-presence of the Almighty. He showed that an understanding of God was greater than fear and danger. The truth was and is that God is all-presence and all-power. There is no place, no circumstance, no situation, in which this truth is not present. We can never be outside of Truth. Understanding this fact had immediate healing effects for Jesus, and it does for you and me as well.

Storms don't always happen at sea. They happen in the lives of all of us and can seem just as frightening to us as a hurricane to a mariner. But we can dive deep-seek the underlying truth of God. This truth is that God is good; He is there for all of us all the time. Good is eternal and doesn't change. It is only in misunderstanding God that we get tossed around.

You can find a sense of peace by drawing close to God in prayer in any storm. As God's beloved, you are always one with your true Father and Mother. You are deeply loved, always safe. This is surely what Jesus knew to be true, and why he was never fearful.

Once Jesus even walked over the waves of the sea to reach his disciples, who were being tossed about in their boat in another storm (see Matthew 14:24-32). Jesus was above the turbulence and agitation. The disciple Peter must have gained the same awareness for a time, when he forgot his fears and walked to Jesus on the sea. Peter did well, for he got up close to his Master before he began to fear and to sink. But Jesus caught hold of him. And the truth that Jesus taught is always at hand to save us when we turn to it. It permits us to dive deep, get away from the sense of suffering, unhappiness, and separation, and find our peace. Nothing changes where God is. And God is here right where we are.

Let spiritual, not material, facts direct your thoughts, and you will be led to find and know the truth. Fear cannot threaten you in this safe harbor.

Thy righteousness

is like the great mountains;

thy judgments

are a great deep:

O Lord, thou preservest

man and beast.

Psalms 36:6