Fresh inspiration

On Wednesday I came to “Christmas, 1900” on page 27 of our book.  I had tried to include some thoughts relevant to the news of the terrible killing of 8 children in Cairns in the Wednesday Evening readings.  In the "Notices" part of the meeting, I read the first paragraph, which includes “But alas for the broken household band!  God give to them more of His dear love that heals the wounded heart.”  How appropriate!  There is always an inspiration in Mrs. Eddy’s writings.

This week the Wednesday readings will be for Christmas Eve, and I have come this morning to page 34.  I will read “The basis of Christmas is the rock, Christ Jesus; its fruits are inspiration and spiritual understanding of joy and rejoicing, – not because of tradition, usage, or corporeal pleasures, but because of fundamental and demonstrable truth, because of the heaven within us.”

Yesterday I went in search of the pronunciation of “Publius Lentulus.”  It is in this week's Christian Science Bible Lesson – the very first citation from Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (S&H) by Mary Baker Eddy.  Well!  There is quite a lot on the internet about Publius Lentulus and his supposed writing.  The letter ascribed to him gives a physical description of Jesus.

And James Spencer has written (and read aloud an audio version) an article about this snippet of Mrs. Eddy’s.  It is part of the podcast series “Mary Baker Eddy Mentioned Them.”  You will find it in the March 2013 edition of The Christian Science Journal, or at http://journal.christianscience.com/issues/2013/3/131-03/publius-lentulus-a-springboard

One can also find the text of the letter which gives the physical description of Jesus.  As James Spencer points out there is no verification that the letter is authentic.  And Mrs. Eddy uses the word "tradition" in relation to it.  (See S&H 29:12.)

I will include the letter here –

The letter

The purported letter reads, in translation:
Lentulus, the Governor of the Jerusalemites to the Roman Senate and People, greetings. There has appeared in our times, and there still lives, a man of great power (virtue), called Jesus Christ. The people call him prophet of truth; his disciples, son of God. He raises the dead, and heals infirmities. He is a man of medium size (statura procerus, mediocris et spectabilis); he has a venerable aspect, and his beholders can both fear and love him. His hair is of the colour of the ripe hazel-nut, straight down to the ears, but below the ears wavy and curled, with a bluish and bright reflection, flowing over his shoulders. It is parted in two on the top of the head, after the pattern of the Nazarenes. His brow is smooth and very cheerful with a face without wrinkle or spot, embellished by a slightly reddish complexion. His nose and mouth are faultless. His beard is abundant, of the colour of his hair, not long, but divided at the chin. His aspect is simple and mature, his eyes are changeable and bright. He is terrible in his reprimands, sweet and amiable in his admonitions, cheerful without loss of gravity. He was never known to laugh, but often to weep. His stature is straight, his hands and arms beautiful to behold. His conversation is grave, infrequent, and modest. He is the most beautiful among the children of men.

From Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_of_Lentulus

 

Remind you of anyone?

 

Joyce Voysey