The Presence of God’s Goodness Alone A CHRISTIAN SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE

At the end of many films, resolution is defined by when “the bad guy” is subdued. This is because evil is often portrayed as a human individual. While it is always vital to identify and overcome evil and destructive behaviors, only in the movies does evil disappear by eliminating a person. In real life, that doesn’t eradicate the underlying evils that torment our world.

Christian Science teaches that to effectively address evil, a first step is to stop giving a human face to it. The Monitor’s founder, Mary Baker Eddy, explains in her Message to The Mother Church for 1901, “Evil is neither quality nor quantity: it is not intelligence, a person or a principle, a man or a woman, a place or a thing, and God never made it” (pp. 12-13).

Only what God creates, in the ultimate scheme of things, has validity and presence. Everything created by God, who is Spirit and utterly good, is wholly good and spiritual. Evil, rather than being a legitimate acting power, doesn’t have any divine backing at all. This opens up a whole new approach to achieving peace. As we admit the spiritual fact that God is the only legitimate presence, we begin to stop regarding evil as sourced in a human being. We then can start disarming it through inspired prayer. What a blessing it is to know that, continuously, we all on this globe are within God’s all-presence. Knowing this isn’t to ignore evil or to refuse to hold perpetrators accountable; it is to realize that, given God’s all-present goodness, evil isn’t as powerful or inevitable as it may seem.

In the biblical account of David and Goliath, Goliath –a physically huge, intimidating fighter – said to the people of Israel, “Give me a man, that we may fight together” (I Samuel 17:10). A young shepherd, David, volunteered. With only a slingshot and stone, David prevailed. If David had considered Goliath an insurmountable evil being, David wouldn’t have won the day.

There’s a lesson here for our present times. How are we looking at the Goliaths of our world? Is God, good, all-present –except in the area where some modern-day Goliath is behaving with irrationality, hatred, and domination? No! Evil owns no position within God’s all-presence. It is within the precinct of human consciousness that, with God’s authority, we address and eliminate belief in evil’s potency. “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good,” instructs the Bible (Romans 12:21).

In my early childhood, I lived with a number of different families. In one home, I was faced with the rancid ugliness of repeated evil and selfish behaviors. I was overwhelmed by the experience, which had a lasting impact on me. For some time afterward, I trusted very few adults.

During the years that followed, I was introduced to Jesus’ example. He said, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good” (Luke 6:45). I began to realize that I didn’t need to let evil intimidate me. I decided to spend focused time in prayer, which enriched my thoughts with a fuller sense of God’s goodness. This simple commitment changed my whole perspective. It empowered me to stop resenting persons and instead to acknowledge the presence of God’s goodness in everyone. Day after day, connecting deeply and actively with the treasure of God’s present goodness brought freedom from the false notion that evil could ever have a personality and unavoidable presence. I began consistently identifying myself, along with everyone else, as made to express God’s goodness and love. This freed me from that lingering mental baggage and helped me express God’s goodness more fully in my own actions.

“To impersonalize scientifically the material sense of existence – rather than cling to personality – is the lesson of to-day,” observes Mrs. Eddy (Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896, p. 310). A prayerful heart overflowing with adoration of God’s goodness defined Jesus’ perspective. We can commit to making it our prayerful perspective, too.

It’s not that God gives us goodness in order to fight with “the bad guy.” No, it’s that God Himself is actually the entire context of real existence, and we each are created as the spiritual expression of God’s flawless nature. Even when evil seems entrenched, seeing just a glimpse of this spiritual reality opens the way for God’s transforming, healing power to become more evident.

By Mark Swinney

Our Perspectives discuss a topic that needs our local attention. For February it is “The Ever-Presence of God, Good.” How can you express God’s love to address this in your life, our community, and the world? Learn more about Christian Science and our local services at BeaufortChristianScience.Org and view more Perspectives at CS Monitor Perspectives.

with Sam Wolfe; Nhexis; Xocar, 2/17 Charles Wesley Godwin; JR Carroll, 2/18 Mimosa Fest with DJ Cabanavibez - doors 11am, show at noon. (843) 408-1599 or www.musicfarm.com

The Pour House, 1977 Maybank Hwy, Charleston. Sundays - The Motown Throwdown, Mondays - Slim & Friends; Tuesdays - Fusion Jonez, Wednesdays - Grateful Dead Wednesday with The Reckoning. 2/2 Papadosio; Puzzled, 2/2 Papadosio; Moldybrain, 2/4 Neal Francis; The Psycodelics, 2/5 Jaime Wyatt; She Returns from War, 2/6 Grateful Dub - reggae Dead, 2/7 GA-20, 2/9 - 2/11 Big Something . . . 2/9 with Abby & the Echoes, 2/10 with Josh Phillips, 2/11 with the Wright Ave, 2/14 The Great Mountain Groove, 2/16 Jimbo Mathus; Schaefer Llana, 2/17 & 2/18 Doom Flamingo. (843) 571-4343 or www.charlestonpourhouse.com

Windjammer, 1008 Ocean Blvd, Isle of Palms. 2/3 Cowboy Mouth, 2/4 Dysfunction, 2/10 Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi tribute, 2/11 Fo Daniels, 2/17 Weird Science, 2/18 FlashMob. (843) 886-8596 or www.the-windjammer.com

BEAUFORT/PORT ROYAL

Foolish Frog, 846 Sea Island Pkwy, St. Helena Island. (843) 838-9300. www.thefoolishfrog.com

Luther’s Rare & Well Done, 910 Bay Street. (843) 521-1888 or www.luthersrareandwelldone.com

Q on Bay, 822 Bay St, Beaufort. (843) 524-7771 or www.qonbay.com

Rosie O’Gradys Irish Pub, in Beaufort Town Center. December! A Blessed Season! We're open thru the Holidays. C'mon down! Mondays & Tuesdays F&B Nights with Discounts; Wednesday, Friday & Saturday - Karaoke at 10pm. Open daily at 11:30am. 18 Years Now! Closed Christmas Day. (843) 379-7676 or Rosie's on Facebook.

Saltus River Grill, 802 Bay St, Beaufort. (843) 3793474 or www.saltusrivergrill.com

BLUFFTON/HILTON HEAD

Big Bamboo, Coligny Plaza. (843) 686-3443 or www.bigbamboocafe.com

Captain Woody’s, 6 Target Rd., Hilton Head or 17 State of Mind St., Bluffton. www.captainwoodys.com

The Jazz Corner, Village at Wexf1ord, Hilton Head. Sundays - Deas Guyz; Mondays - A Journey Through Jazz with The Martin Lesch Band; Tuesdays - Fat Tuesdays: A Swingin' Celebration of New Orleans and Beyond; Thursdays - Lavon Stevens with Louise Spencer. 2/1 Lavon Stevens with Quiana Parker, 2/3 & 2/4 The Kris Tokarski Trio, 2/8 Bobby Ryder, 2/10 & 2 11 The Quentin Baxter Quintet, 2/15 Lavon Stevens with Quiana Parker, 2/17 & 2/18 Geoffrey Keezer Trio. (843) 842-8620 or www.TheJazzCorner.com

Omni Hilton Head Ocean Front in Palmetto Dunes. Buoy Bar - HH Prime - (843) 842-8000 or www.omnihotels.com

Out Of Town

The Music Farm, 32 Ann Street, Charleston. 2/2

Token, 2/3 Mr. Holland's Oats - Hall & Oates Tribute, 2/8 Cheyenne Giles; ALX, 2/9 G. Love & Donovan Frankenreiter, 2/10 1770 Records

Showcase featuring Simplicity, Hotel Hugo, Homemade Haircuts, and Tree Limbs, 2/11 STRFKR; Das Kope, 2/15 Comedians in Drag

Doing Comedy with Dr. Anna Lepeley, Hagan Ragland, Shawana Jarrett, Rossi Brown, and Kaz Sortino, 2/16 Blade Rave - Vampire themed rave

Editors Note: Events listed here may be subject to postponement or cancellation. Please check for further information.

THEATER/FILM/DANCE

2/1 – 2/19, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head. For tickets visit www. artshhi.com or call 843-842-2787

GALLERIES/ART

Now – 2/20, Indelible Moments: 1970 Street Photographs from Two Cultures, Photographs by Jack Dempsey at USCB Center for the Arts. 801 Carteret Street, Beaufort. For more information, visit www.jdempsey.net

Now – 2/23, The Food We Celebrate. This traveling exhibit tells the story of selected foodways and how they are celebrated and shared. Morris Center for Lowcountry Heritage in downtown Ridgeland. www.morrisheritagecenter.org

Now - 2/27, "On the Edge of a Forest, A Conversation Begins," an exhibit of artwork by Jean McLaughlin and Tom Spleth at USCB Sea Islands Center Gallery in Beaufort.

Now - 2/28, Show Your Love, an exhibit of small, original art pieces and vintage valentine postcards at the Beaufort Art Association gallery. 913 Bay Street, Beaufort. www.beaufortartassociation.com

Now – 2/29, Reflections of Nature: Painting with Glass. Featuring the work of Sharon Cooper. The Beaufort Art Association Gallery is located at 913 Bay Street, Beaufort. www.beaufortartassociation.com

2/6 – 3/5, Annual High School Art Show hosted by the Society of Bluffton Artists. Opening reception on Sat 2/11 from 5-7 pm at the SOBA gallery, located in Old Town Bluffton. www.sobagallery.com

BOOKS & WRITERS

Mondays Now - 3/13, Books Sandwiched In hosted by The Friends of the Beaufort Library, Noon - 1pm at USCB Center for the Arts. For a full of books and presenters, visit www.friendsofthebeaufortlibrary.com/books-sandwiched-in

Fri 2/3, Poet Monica Lee Weatherly will be reading her poetry at Sandies at the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce (711 Bladen St.) at 5:30 pm. Hosted by the Pat Conroy Literary Center, this event is free and open to the public. Books will be available for sale and signing. Sandies will be open for dine-in or take-out dinner that evening. www.patconroyliterarycenter.org

Sat 2/4, Monica Lee Weatherly will teach a writing workshop – Narrative Poetry and the Oral Tradition of Storytelling – from 10 am –noon at the Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen St., Beaufort. Limited to 15 participants, $45/person. Advance registration is required at https://patconroyliterarycenter.eventbrite.com

Thur 2/9, Open Mic Night sponsored by the Pat Conroy Literary Center and the Black Chamber of Commerce. Featured poet: Lola Campbell. 6-7:30 pm at Sandies, 711 Bladen Street. Free and open to the public. To register in advance to read from your work, email the Conroy Center at contact@patconroyliterarycenter.org

Wed 2/15, Publication Day Pop-In for Carolina’s Ring by Lynn Seldon. 5-7pm at the Pat Conroy Literary Center, 601 Bladen Street, Beaufort.

Sat 2/18, Lynn Seldon (Carolina’s Ring) in conversation with John Warley from 4-6pm at the Beaufort Bookstore, 2127 Boundary Street, Beaufort.

Tues 2/21 & 2/28, Lecture Series on C.S. Lewis’s Abolition of Man. Hosted by Holy Trinity Classical Christian School. Rev. Joe Lawrence will lead the two-night series from 6 to 7 p.m., on the main campus at 302 Burroughs Ave. For more information, please contact Celeste Pruit at cpruit@htccs.org or 843-379-9632.

Music

Sun 2/19, USCB Chamber Music Concert, featuring music by Brahms, Gershwin and Schumann. 5 pm at the USCB Center for the Arts, 801 Carteret Street, Beaufort. For concert/ ticket information, go to www.uscbchambermusic.com or call 843-208-8246

Other Events

Thur, 2/2, 2/9, 2/16, ‘Five Centuries of History’ Lecture Series sponsored by Historic Beaufort Foundation at USCB Center for the Arts. Featuring historians John McCardell, Larry Rowland, and Stephen Wise. $30 per lecture/$150 lecture package for HBF members. $35 per lecture/$175 lecture package for non-HBF members. $20 per lecture/$100 lecture package for full-time students. www. historicbeaufort.org

Sat 2/4, Search for Stuarts Town Symposium. Sponsored by the Beaufort History Museum. 1 pm at USCB Center for the Arts. Free and open to the public. www.stuartstown.com

Sat 2/11, 34th Annual BMH Valentine Ball. Featuring pre-ball dinner parties followed by dessert, cocktails, silent auction and live music at Tabby Place in downtown Beaufort. Tickets must be purchased by 1/13 to guarantee seating at a dinner party. For more information, visit www.ValentineBall.org or call the Beaufort Memorial Hospital Foundation at (843) 522-5774.

2/21 – 2/26, 17th Annual Beaufort International Film Festival at USCB Center for the Arts. For a full schedule of events and tickets info, visit www. beaufortfilmfestival.com

3/2 – 3/5, 6th Annual Maison Beaufort: Antiques, Home & Garden Show. Tabby Place, 913 Port Republic Street, Beaufort. Preview Party $40 (3/2) in advance. General admission $6 in advance, $10 at the door (3/3-3/5). www.maisonbeaufort.org

Thursdays and some Tuesdays, Tours of the Historic Hunting Island Lighthouse sponsored by the Friends of Hunting Island. Keeper Ted and his team will tell you about the history of the Lighthouse built in 1875. The only Lighthouse in South Carolina open to visitors. If you're 44 inches tall you may climb the 167 steps to the top for a 360 degree view. Reservations are recommended - call the Nature Center at 843-838-7437. Tours are $2 a person and park entry fees apply.

Second Friday, Beaufort Drum Circle resumes on the 2nd Friday of every month. 6:30 – 8 pm at the Gazebo in Waterfront Park. Eric Roy is the new facilitator. Sessions with 15-20 minutes of instruction on djembe playing and a selected traditional rhythm & accompaniment for participants. Also, there will be time for spontaneous group drumming. All are welcome. No experience is necessary. Bring a drum, if you have one, a chair, and desire for fun. The Drum Circle has extra instruments anyone can use. For more info visit the BeaufortDrumCircle Facebook page.

Third Thursday, TECHconnect is a monthly networking event for professionals working in and around technology. Come and join on the for the conversation at BASEcamp 500 Carteret 5:307:30pm. 843-470-3506. www.beaufortdigital.com

Thursdays, History Tours of Fort Mitchell by the Heritage Library, 10am. $12/Adult $7/Child. 843-686-6560.