Channels of thought

I love the reference to the rivers in Genesis chapter two.

Water is a life-giving element on earth. Rivers might also represent mental activity, ideas considered, beliefs held. Mary Baker Eddy offers an insightful definition of the biblical term river as "channel of thought". (See Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures p. 593.)

Here in Genesis, we read about four rivers thus:

Pison (also called Pishon) in the land of Havilah. Here there is pure gold, rare perfumes (bdellium), and precious stones (onyx).

Gihon is in Ethiopia.

Hiddekel (Tigris) flows east of Assyria.

Euphrates is the fourth. 

According to one interesting map ("Geography and Numerics of Eden") , all four rivers come from the one source and then spread out across the known world at that time. 

[https://www.google.com.au/search?q=pishon+river&rlz=1T4WQIA_enAU586AU587&tbm=isch&imgil=Q4k8a64cnCFM3M%253A%253Bb5rWQcBizdO1aM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.kjvbible.org%25252Frivers_of_the_garden_of_eden.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=Q4k8a64cnCFM3M%253A%252Cb5rWQcBizdO1aM%252C_&biw=1438&bih=610&dpr=1.05&ved=0CCgQyjdqFQoTCLTfxrKwicgCFQTGpgodOCUE1w&ei=zJ8AVrTJDISMmwW4ypC4DQ&usg=__zphOmp1q2Z5tH-BhcObgtHoVVqQ%3D#imgrc=XjkHISU1-6iGhM%3A&usg=__zphOmp1q2Z5tH-BhcObgtHoVVqQ%3D]


Julie Swannell

Living Gen One

The word Genesis means origin, production, creation. Close by it in the dictionary are words like generation, genes, generic, generate, and genetic. So we are looking at a book which offers an explanation of life itself.

I have a note in my Bible that Genesis Chapter One was written 850BC, while Genesis Chapter Two was composed 950BC. When Bible scholar Laura Pleming was in Australia some decades ago, she explained that several documents make up what we now call the one book of Genesis. She referred to the E (Elohistic) document, the J (Jehovistic) document, and the P (Priestly) document. Like Aboriginal Australians, the people of that time were story-tellers: we can imagine family groups gathering around a camp fire at night, the elders sharing with the youngsters explanations of how life began. At various periods, in an effort to preserve the stories, they would have been written down on papyrus, and over time such fragments were no doubt collected together and arranged by various editors.

Mary Baker Eddy has written a very helpful chapter called Genesis in her major work, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. Genesis is the first book in the "Key to the Scriptures" section, beginning on page 501. Here Eddy emphasizes the need to interpret the Scriptures scientifically because this offers the spiritual meaning. This is of major importance for the metaphysician, who wants to know about thoughts, rather than things.

A major theme of the Bible is that nothing occurs without "the Spirit of God", and that phrase is right here in Genesis One verse three. And so, as we listen for, and feel, the Spirit of God, thought is lifted above the mundane facts of time, space, figures and human activities, to the wonder and glory of God's work unfolding before us. This work of God is seen here in qualities such as abundance, enlightenment, order, goodness, blessing, multiplication, renewal, freshness, variety, completeness, attention to detail, and creativity. It is very good! All needs are met; work is accomplished and rewarded. There is work, but there is also rest. There is no depletion, but rather replenishment; and dominion is accompanied by responsibility.

Who wouldn't want to be a child of "Gen One"! And we are!

Julie Swannell





 

Personal presence not necessary

Before we start our discussions on  Genesis, I am going to revert to our August reading.

I have found absolutely fascinating, Mary Baker Eddy's letters to the brand new branch churches which sprouted up around the United States and beyond. See Chapters 8 and 9 of The First Church of Christ, Scientist and Miscellany.  

Here are her responses to invitations to personally attend the dedication of branch church edifices. Her answers are invariably to decline the invitation. She frequently cites not only pressure of time and work commitments, but also the fact that her personal presence is not needed. What a lesson to us all as we ponder the concepts of time and space from the higher perspective of Mind's omnipresence, and the instruction to "keep personality out of sight..." (p. 191: 12).

Later she speaks of "a complete subordination of self" (p. 194), and our need of putting our talents to work in order to "silence a deep discontent with our shortcomings" (p. 195).

postscript: In Eddy's letter to the church in Chicago is a reference to Papias' LOGIA, written in AD145. I've never heard of him before! See page 178. Wikipedia has an entry about him, which may be of interest to our readers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papias_of_Hierapolis

Julie S.