The Principle that prevents accidents

by David C. Kennedy
from The Christian Science Journal, May, 2015

Safety while traveling is a fundamental need for all of us. And because it is so important, God provides it. Through an understanding of God, we can not only be free ourselves from accidents, but play an important role by praying to keep mankind safe as well.

Human consciousness has a need to become acquainted with God, to understand more spiritually the nature of God and the nature of His care for man. This developing understanding opens our eyes, our spiritual discernment, to what is forever here—God’s all-encompassing harmonious government.

God is able to maintain perfect order everywhere, because God is not confined to human limits, nor does He share power with lesser forces. God is infinite Spirit, filling all space. Spirit is everywhere, the one supreme presence, the one unopposed power. Nothing is outside of God’s reach; nothing can slip beyond His loving government; nothing can go wrong in His infinite perfection.

The Bible says of God: “He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: … O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved” (Psalms 66:7–9).

Christian Science explains God’s nature, showing infinite Spirit to be the infinite divine Principle that has created all and governs all through divine law. This Principle isn’t a cold, impersonal power or force, but is our loving Father-Mother, ever-present divine Love, who truly cares for all of us. Divine Principle is also the Life of all, so we are forever held in Life and can’t be separated from Life. Principle is the all-knowing Mind that controls all being and produces all action.

The Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, writes: “Accidents are unknown to God, or immortal Mind, and we must leave the mortal basis of belief and unite with the one Mind, in order to change the notion of chance to the proper sense of God’s unerring direction and thus bring out harmony.

“Under divine Providence there can be no accidents, since there is no room for imperfection in perfection” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 424).

Prayer is the tool that enables us to leave behind material conceptions and fears and gain the realization of God’s perfect control. Through prayer we remind ourselves of the spiritual truths we know and deepen our understanding of them. But we also move beyond our present understanding to a higher perception and conviction by listening further for whatever spiritual ideas we need, ideas that divine Love imparts to our waiting, receptive thought.

Through study of the Bible and Mrs. Eddy’s writings and the prayer by which we apply the truths these books teach, we increasingly perceive that none of us is really a vulnerable mortal, subject to chance. We are not separate from God’s government, nor are we ever outside of God’s love. We all have eternally existed with God and in God, as spiritual ideas of the one divine Mind. We are known to Mind, dwell in Mind, and cannot drift outside the perfection of what Mind is constantly knowing and doing.

Mind is all-acting. So everything that takes place in the infinite universe of Mind is Mind expressing itself. All action is foreknown by Mind and is perfect. Nothing can take place that Mind doesn’t cause. So there are no mistakes, no mishaps, no one wandering into danger or being drawn into danger. Perfect Mind outlines perfection. Loving Mind outlines harmony, goodness, and perpetual safety. And we are all embraced in what Mind is continuously outlining.

So we can approach each day affirming and understanding that unerring Mind is directing us throughout the day. Every action we take is outlined by Mind in fulfillment of its purpose for us. All that we do is impelled by divine Love, and Love unfolds only good. Wherever we go, we’re under the care of unerring Principle, which is every moment fulfilling perfection.

If we hear reports of an accident in the news, it can prompt us to reach out in prayer to those involved, as well as their families, with the understanding of Love’s unchanging embrace, which meets each one’s needs. Neither “death, nor life,” said Paul, can separate anyone “from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38, 39). The life of every individual is bound up eternally with God, because each of us is created by God. Even the victims can’t be and are not separate from their eternal source, their loving Father-Mother, whose constant care still provides for their needs, and is there to comfort those who mourn, as well.

Yet such incidents show the great need for us to dedicate ourselves to praying for humanity’s safety. Accidents are no part of God’s government of man and the universe, but this must be demonstrated—proved—not just accepted. Prayer that is firmly grounded on the divine Science of being is effective, because the truth we’re knowing is the Science of being. It’s the Holy Ghost, operating universally, in each individual consciousness—operating as divine law to maintain order and harmony, and to keep individuals safe.

The divine Principle, ever-present Love, is governing people everywhere, wherever they may be traveling. Because of man’s inseparability from God, we can affirm and expect that during every airline flight the one Mind is governing the pilots, directing the air traffic controllers, and caring for the passengers. Divine Love keeps all of them safe and guides them. The divine Principle of being brings the right purpose of each flight to completion. Every detail and every step of each flight is under the unfaltering direction of Mind and held in the sure grasp of Love.

Divine Principle is the one sure preventer of accidents, because in Principle no accidents are possible. Divine Love has established goodness, joy, harmony, freedom from fear, and freedom from danger, because nothing unlike Love exists in Love’s allness. The Christ, the manifestation of Love that Jesus represented, tenderly imparts this understanding, assuring us that we are known to Love and one with Love. As Jesus said, “Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Luke 12:7).

This divine Principle, Love, is eternally operating to govern our lives harmoniously, wherever we may be. We have only to acknowledge and spiritually perceive this ever-present Principle to find that we are always under God’s wise, loving, and unerring direction.

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This article was published in the May 2015 issue of The Christian Science Journal. To learn more about this monthly magazine, published online and in print, visit HERE.