Invisible goodness – all around us
Fear of the coronavirus as an “invisible enemy” may sometimes pull at us. But there’s another presence surrounding us all that’s even more powerful: the healing presence of God, good.
Have you ever considered all the invisible things that surround us and fill our lives with goodness? Think of the invisible process causing spring flowers to bloom, the invisible force of gravity that enables us to stand upright. And the invisible but very concrete sense of connection we feel with our loved ones, even if they live far away and we can’t see them.
In my prayers for our global family, I have been specifically praying about the fear of an “invisible enemy” many people are feeling. Well, the Bible has a lot to say about an invisible, powerful presence of good that surrounds us. In the Bible, the Apostle Paul writes about looking “at the things which are not seen: for ... the things which are not seen are eternal” (II Corinthians 4:18).
Each of us can become more and more aware of goodness everywhere around us, expressed through countless acts of generosity and kindness. It’s not just about a positive attitude. It’s bearing witness to the unending love of God, divine Spirit, which can be felt and experienced in tangible ways.
Jesus explains Spirit’s invisible presence this way, as “The Message” interpretation of the Bible puts it: “You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it’s headed next. That’s the way it is with everyone ‘born from above’ by the wind of God, the Spirit of God” (John 3:8, Eugene Peterson).
In her book “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer of Christian Science, writes: “Spirit blesses man, but man cannot ‘tell whence it cometh’” (p. 78). Mrs. Eddy, a follower of Jesus’ teachings, successfully healed many cases of disease – including those that are considered contagious – through a calm, clear awareness of the presence of the one invisible and infinitely loving God. God’s protecting and healing power may seem invisible to the physical senses, but it is very much present and visible to our spiritual sense, the innate ability we all have to discern the spiritual reality of God’s love and care.
So next time you hear about an “invisible enemy,” remember to acknowledge that it’s actually the health-filled winds of the invisible Spirit, God, that are surrounding us all.
Adapted from the April 24, 2020, Christian Science Daily Lift podcast.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all the Monitor’s coronavirus coverage is free, including articles from this column. There’s also a special free section of JSH-Online.com on a healing response to the coronavirus. There is no paywall for any of this coverage.