WAR
Association Address 1941
by Martha Wilcox
The purpose of this morning's lesson is to gain a truer and more comprehensive sense of the eventuality that we call war. Just what is war? According to the religious thought instructed in Christian Science, war is warfare between Truth and error. A mental conflict between spiritual sense and material sense; a conflict between the flesh and the spirit, which is spoken of in both the Bible and our textbook. And far too much is made of this seeming warfare, for we who are metaphysicians are proving each day, that in the realm of infinite Good there is not both good and evil, but Good only. Hence, there is no warfare.
War, according to the revelation of Christian Science, is mortal mind or animal magnetism, and mortal mind or animal magnetism stands for all evil of whatever name or nature. It is the belief of life, substance and intelligence in matter; the belief of minds many, and powers many. And the more we, as Christian Scientists, accept the suggestion that war is going on as a fact, the more we strengthen and perpetuate the belief of life in matter and the belief of minds many, and the more we are governed by mortal mind or animal magnetism, instead of by the reality of Being.
The belief of mortal mind or animal magnetism has no life, or power or presence, or being, therefore it cannot assert itself, or express itself as war. The belief of mortal mind or animal magnetism is not Mind or conscious Life, therefore it cannot be minds many; it is not an entity filling space; it has no presence or being, therefore it cannot assert itself as a power or influence over people, and cause discontent, disorder, and murder. The whole claim of animal magnetism or mortal mind is without Being, is without God in the world. War is purely the result of the belief that creation is material, but we through Christian Science know that all creation is spiritual, consisting of the sons of God, with one Mind.
War seems to be a very great error, but we cannot properly invest error with gradations. No one error is greater or less than another error. All errors are mortal mind or animal magnetism and therefore unreal. All errors are unreal, and the war should not gain in seeming reality because of its seeming greatness. Mortal mind, or animal magnetism in any form, is nothing, and however great it may seem to be, it still is nothing. We should not make the mistake of believing that the evils that confront us are great or small. In the demonstration of the one Mind, we find that error is neither great nor small. Our textbook teaches us that all errors are illusions, and what is an illusion? An illusion is an unreal appearance.
The claim that error is personal in one instance and national or international in another should not deceive us. God, Mind, Love, divine Principle, is infinite and All. The one Mind is conscious of everything that is true of men, and is conscious of everything that is true of nations, and whatever is not true of men and of nations does not exist at all.
Where does this so-called war operate? Does it operate external to us, or does it operate within us? All war is operating within what is ordinarily called human consciousness. It is not in any way external or remote from us. The war is entirely mental, no matter how much it may seem to the contrary, and it must be met in the mentality.
The Bible says, "There was war in heaven." Since there can be no war in heaven, harmony, the word "heaven" is here unquestionably used to indicate the realm of thought, and sometimes there does seem to be a great conflict, or war, in what is ordinarily called human thought. Every problem, which confronts us, is wholly wrong thought, and all that can ever be done to the problem must be done in the realm of thought.
We cannot understand too well that whatever we take cognizance of, and accept as a fact, becomes a part of what is ordinarily called our human consciousness, and is reflected on our body or in our world. If we cognize and accept as a fact that there is war and dangers of war, we are not dealing with war scientifically, and the so-called war becomes our war or threatens to become our war. Those of us who read or listen to all the war news and think of war as actually taking place, are protected only because of mortal mind's belief that the war is apart and remote from us, instead of being a part of our human consciousness.
Much is said about this war being the result of conflicting modes of thought; that barbarism is conflicting with Christianity, that totalitarianism is conflicting with democracy, that dictatorship is conflicting with individualism, and so on.
But this so-called war is purely the result of a universal mass-mesmerism, an obsession; the so-called mortal mind's obsession that an increase of material good can be had only by external or extraneous additions of good. In other words, the expansion of so-called human good is by accretion rather than by the unfoldment of spiritual ideas from within. This misconception of the expansion of material good is impelling Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, and the Japanese to extend their control over territories and over the people of other nations. They are obsessed with the belief that there are no limits to the benefits of national expansion, and that no price is too great to pay for it. But in Christian Science, we understand that God made man, and gave him presence, and certainty, and position, and man does not desire to get from somebody or some other nation, but draws from Infinity.
The true and only method of expansion is revealed to us through our study of Christian Science. Here we are taught that expansion of good is not by accretion, but results entirely from divine ideas within our consciousness (S&H 68:27). The only expansion is mental and spiritual. Spiritual expansion is heaven, harmony; there are no limits to the benefits of spiritual expansion.
This situation called "war" is an extreme phase of mortal mind chemicalization, and we in Christian Science should have handled and taken care of this extreme chemicalization. Much of this eventuality is the result of work done in Christian Science, and the chemicalization produced should have been cared for by Christian Scientists.
For many years, through the activities of the Christian Science movement, Christ, or Truth, has been poured into universal human consciousness, and Christ, or Truth, has carried its active work of redeeming human consciousness. But the material resistance of mortal mind to this active Christ or Truth, has caused a great mental conflict throughout the world and, for want of a better name, we are calling the mental conflict "war." As an effect of this work done in Christian Science and under the pressure of this Christ or Truth, that which purports to be the human mind, with all its traditions, is being forced to a recognition of its own powerlessness, and nothingness, and even its own self-destruction.
This yielding of the so-called human mind to the divine Mind is causing this great universal disturbance and chemicalization, and since mortal mind is both belief and believer, as one, its own self-destruction of persons and things. But this seeming self-destruction of mortal mind is not the destruction of anything actual, useful or valuable. It is the disappearance, or dissolution, of the false human concept of man as being a person, and of things as being material. And so long as this false human concept is entertained by us, it dulls our perception to that which is divinely true and just at hand. Primarily, we are not engaged in demonstrating over war, but as Christian Scientists we are primarily engaged in demonstrating the divine Principle, Love, in whose universe war does not exist.
In demonstrating the divine Principle, Love, we as Christian Scientists may think we have failed miserably, because we have not as yet succeeded in bringing about conditions that are deemed desirable. This so-called war seems to involve so much of mortal mind and so many so-called mortals, that unless we are very alert, we may fail to vision the true character of success, or fail to recognize the present indications of success, because these indications do not tally up with our previous mortal mind conceptions of success.
I want to say emphatically that any apparent lack of results from our work in regard to this seeming conflict, is but the inability on the part of material sense to cognize what is taking place in this event called war. We, as Christian Scientists, should advance our thinking to a higher and more permanent mental and spiritual altitude, wherein we fully understand that our right thinking or our treatment has its origin and law in Omnipotence, and that failure is impossible. Does this present war have a spiritual value for this epoch? All events and epochs are scientifically valueless unless they have a spiritual purpose. It is of little worth that wars and rumors of wars engage the printed page of thousands of newspapers; something more and something new is to be discovered and made practical. History shows that every epoch has its spiritual values, and happy are we who discern the spiritual values of this present time.
We closed last year's Association Meeting with this statement, "This is the close of an era," and this morning allow me to make this statement, "We are now in the beginning of a new era." And this new era demands that each individual must see and hear with new distinctiveness and understanding. Jesus said, "Let him that readeth understand," and the prophet Jeremiah said, "What seest thou?" If we read and see from the material sense of things, there will be "discord and dismay," but if we read and see from the spiritual vision, then there will be serene and peace." We make our own choice.
More than 2000 years ago, Jesus prophesied this present event or this present war, but he did not prophesy it as calamitous to those who "look up" above the sense testimony, or to those who "lift up their heads;" that is, lift up their thought to approximate Truth. True enough, he saw that all material human concepts would vanish from the human mind; he saw that even the powers of heaven would be shaken; that is, all mortal mind's established methods and customs and traditions and values would be shaken, and give place to a new and higher order of things.
In this prophecy, Jesus stated definitely and without question that, at that present time, there would appear the supremacy and reality of Good, and there would be the disappearance of evil from the world. According to Jesus' prophecy, this event is to be a triumph for Truth. Reality will be recognized, and there will be the perception of the nothingness of nothing. Jesus said, "And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. " (Matt. 24:30) The coming of the Son of man signifies that the demonstration of Christian Science is at hand. The Son of God is Reality, or is all creation as it is; the Son of man is the human proof that all these Realities are at hand. And the human proof, or manifestation, will approximate the perfection of these Realities according to the degree that our individual thought individualizes Divine Science. The coming of the Son of man is not the coming of a person, or the coming of something visible or spectacular, something outside of ourselves. No, the Son of man appears as higher, truer qualities of thought within ourselves. It is a great spiritual evaluation of the Good that makes up our consciousness. We can in no way disconnect or disassociate the coming of the Son of man from God. The coming of the Son of man is God's presence, appearing humanly, and is man and the universe seen and known according to our highest comprehension of their reality.
Referring to our present time, our textbook says, "As material knowledge diminishes and spiritual understanding increases, real objects will be apprehended mentally instead of materially." (S&H 96:27) Jesus set forth clearly and definitely what should be our attitude of thought in these "latter days," arid why we should have this attitude of thought. He said, "When these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads." Why? "For your redemption draweth nigh." (Luke 21:28) Our redemption from what? Our redemption from the false concepts, the veil which has darkened man's vision and which is done away in Christ. Christ, the Truth about all things, is our Redeemer, and our redemption is at hand. We do not look at the destruction of matter as the destruction of something, but as the passing away of the false material concept of substance. This false concept of Substance hides the omnipresence of man and the universe of Reality. How readest thou? How seest thou? Instead of viewing the present time with dismay, Christian Scientists should assume their divine responsibilities. These may present themselves as human responsibilities, but since we know that they are divine and mental, they should be joyous responsibilities.
Each of us can, and should, assume the responsibility of handling the errors in his own thinking. We should do just this, as if we were the only one upon whom rested the responsibility for the correction to be made. In this way, only, do we work out our own salvation, and at the same time aid in working out the salvation of the world.
A New Age
At this present time, we are leaving the era of a personal mind and are being forced to rise to the demonstration of the divine Mind. The material resistance to this rise from a personal mind to the divine Mind is great. Those who depend upon personal mind alone can no longer demonstrate even ordinary sustenance. We have the example of how personal mind has planned peace and brought us war; the so-called mind of man has planned for abundance, and yet millions are in want.
Among the many spiritual values revealed to this age, there is none greater than the revelation that the intellect of man is not primarily human or personal, but is primarily divine Intelligence, although, as yet, imperfectly disclosed. The Son of man, which is divine Intelligence, is coming to this age with great power. This is an incoming age of power and action, and dominion and works. The great need of the Christian Science movement today is not so much of the letter, but the power of Spirit: less teaching and talking, and more instantaneous, permanent healings. We are leaving the "talking age" for an incoming age of power and works. We all know far too well that the human personal mind has done much talking along every line, Christian Science included. There has been much talking in public affairs. There are talking congresses, talking legislatures, talking peace conferences, wordy diplomacy, etc. In business there are reports, sales propaganda, human opinions, etc. All talk! No doubt this talking age has fulfilled its purpose. The human mind has learned that talking is easier than seeking divine guidance; easier than action and works. But man is also learning that talk does not produce actualities, and is not a substitute for actualities; God is demanding of us dominion, and power and action and works. To what extent are we preparing ourselves for these higher demands? In reality, what is taking place in this age is what takes place in every Christian Science treatment, with the exception that what takes place in the individual consciousness through a treatment, is now taking place in cosmic or universal consciousness. And this that is taking place is the appearing of the reality of ever-present Good, and the disappearing of all so-called evil.
At this present time, we are witnessing the ascendancy and supremacy of Good, and the powerlessness and nothingness and self-destruction of evil, even though the sense testimony is to the contrary. We would be mightily discouraged if we did not understand this great and vital truth. Every event in so-called human history has been for the triumph of Truth. This is clearly seen in what frequently appears as a war of conflict, but what, in its actuality, is the demonstration of the omnipotence and omnipresence of Good, and the powerlessness and nothingness of evil. We read in our textbook, "The manifestations of evil, which counterfeit divine justice, are called in the Scriptures, 'The anger of the Lord.' In reality, they show the self-destruction of error or matter and point to matters opposite, the strength and permanency of Spirit. Christian Science brings to light Truth and its supremacy, universal harmony, the entireness of God, good, and the nothingness of evil." (S&H 293:24) It also says, "The breaking up of material beliefs may seem to be famine and pestilence, want and woe, sin, sickness, and death, which assume new phases until their nothingness appears. These disturbances will continue until the end of error, when all discord will be swallowed up in spiritual Truth." (S&H 96:15)
The end of any error will come to us individually, when the error becomes extinct within our human consciousness. When we give a Christian Science treatment, there should be the extinction of some particular error, and the extinction should be permanent. Yes, wars, which are purely error, will continue until the cause of the war is exposed and vanquished, and made extinct in human consciousness.
Moral Chemicalization
Our textbook says, "Mortal error will vanish in a moral chemicalization." (S&H 96:21) Moral chemicalization is taking place at this time, and the errors of mortal thought are vanishing from human consciousness. In the coming age, human consciousness will be characterized by moral excellence; that is, our manners, customs, habits, conduct and ways of life, pertaining to the action of men and nations, will spring from man's natural sense of rightness and propriety.
We all understand that man's natural sense has its source in divine Principle, Love, therefore man's natural sense will show forth the qualities of graciousness and mercy and justice to all. Since mortal error is vanishing in a moral chemicalization, it is fitting that we understand the nature and character of chemicalization and what produces it. Mrs. Eddy says, "What I term chemicalization is the upheaval produced when immortal Truth is destroying erroneous mortal belief." (S&H 401:16) According to this definition, our present so-called war is a chemicalization or an upheaval produced by immortal Truth destroying erroneous mortal beliefs. And what an upheaval seems to be taking place as "Truth urges upon mortals its resisted claims!" (S&H 223:29) There would be no chemicalization or upheaval at this time, were it not that "the claims of Truth" are being resisted to the very hilt by mortal mind.
Chemicalization Purely Mental
The word "chemicalization" is usually associated with a process of mental fermentation, but in Christian Science chemicalization is purely mental; that is, it is taking place wholly within what is ordinarily called the human consciousness. Mrs. Eddy says, "Mental chemicalization follows the explanation of Truth, and a higher basis is thus won." (S&H 453:8) She also says, "Mental chemicalization brings sin and sickness to the surface, forcing impurities to pass away." (S&H 401:18) Again she says, "By chemicalization I mean the process which mortal mind and body undergo in the change of belief from a material to a spiritual basis." (S&H 168:32) From these definitions we readily see that chemicalization is occasioned whenever we change our erroneous human concept of persons and things to a spiritual and true concept of persons and things. Some may ask, "Is chemicalization necessary?" It will take place just so long as there seems to be both Truth and error, both good and evil, in our consciousness. Chemicalization is the natural process we undergo in our change from belief to Truth, or it is the transformation of the human to the Divine. But this change or transformation should be effected without pain or aggravation to either mind or body. Mrs. Eddy says, "This chemicalization should be painless if it were not for the seeming material resistance to Truth in our consciousness.
Chemicalization, produced by the action of absolute Truth, when absolute Truth, is poured into human consciousness, is a belief that cannot be ignored. It needs much more consideration than most workers in Christian Science give it. Many Christian Scientists in their practice work, and in their work concerning the world's problems, fail to recognize the need of handling the claim of harmful chemicalization. Mrs. Eddy unmistakably indicates that chemicalization should be dealt with through the realization that divine Love expressed, is the only presence, power or consciousness.
The Making of Civilization Causes Chemicalization
In the process of the appearing of real civilization, the old civilization chemicalizes, and a new and higher civilization appears. Real civilization has never failed, but the pretense of civilization has failed miserably. Nevertheless, a mere pretense of civilization is better than barbarisms. Without civilization in some degree, we would have no Christianity and no Christian Science.
Someone may ask, "Is this chemicalization which is brought about by the revelation and demonstration of Christian Science so severe, that it is destroying civilization rather than redeeming it? Surely, we do not believe that the practical demonstration of Christian Science could produce harmful chemicalization, rather should we take the attitude, that we have the ability to care for any chemicalization that seems to be produced through the demonstration of Christian Science. And, if in our work, our thought takes on something of the grandeur of God, this true thought or Truth will take care of any situation that may arise. Civilization will not be destroyed; government will not be destroyed; and the reason they will not be destroyed, but appear better unto their perfection, is because they are already Reality, they are already perfect and established in the Mind of God.
True civilization and true government cannot be imposed upon by any individual. Civilization and government are ideas of Mind, and must eventually spring from within. Our Science teaches that man, self-governed by divine Principle, is ideal government. This Mind of government is neither capitalistic nor communistic, but is exclusively and inclusively Christian. This real government seems quite remote, if we look to the testimony of the senses, but looking within, each one of us may establish divine government, and each one of us may exemplify divine government, and, in so doing, we hasten divine government for all mankind.
Only Christian Scientists understand the import of these days. With our pure thought, we are looking through and beyond the mists of war, which is merely an appearance of evil, and are glimpsing war's underlying reality, a new and true civilization, a new and divine government.
God Governs the Universe
Omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God governs the universe harmoniously and eternally, and in this government there are no secret organizations and no fifth columnists that can govern or influence men or nations erroneously. Reason and logic show us conclusively that what appears as a human being with life and intelligence in and of himself, is none other than Mind's Presence. Divine Mind has unfolded Himself out into this particular so-called personality. All there is to any personality, or all there is to anything this personality may seem to be or to do, is divine Mind, Himself being and doing it. Therefore, man cannot be governed or influenced by anything but the divine Mind.
Christian Scientists have power over evil beliefs because the Christ, or Truth, which they individualize, is power. Thinking rightly about the war is greater than the war. Which is greater, your understanding or the war? Your understanding is God with you, while war is error, therefore nothing. Christian Scientists, as exponents of Truth, have sufficient understanding to protect those at the head of our government, to protect our nation and to protect all nations. We should clearly discern that any nation and all nations, our government and all governments, reflect wisdom and intelligence, and cannot be influenced erroneously. Since we embrace our civilization, our government and our universe in our thought, we should know that our true thought, or Truth, governs all harmoniously. Let us rid our thought of hate, malice, and anger. Let us rid our thought of the desire to get even with somebody or some nation. Let us rid our thought of rivalry and contention, and maintain a clearly defined mental position based on Truth.
Such realization of Truth is the law of annihilation to the belief of destruction, devastation and death. Such realization will do something to the war, and will eventually destroy all sense of, or belief in, war. When we take the mental position that God is All, then man in His image and likeness cannot be an instrument through which hypnotism, suggestion and deception can work. A position that God is All is a law of annihilation to the belief of fear, contention, or animal magnetism of whatever nature. When we take the mental position that God and man is one Being, this basic Truth is a law of education, enlightenment, and discernment of the divine Presence, expressed as the idea of infinite Love. "Love is the liberator."
(S&H 225:21)
Preparedness and Defense
Among students of Christian Science, there has arisen the question whether material preparedness and defense is necessary, or whether spiritual preparedness and defense alone is sufficient. Now in order that spiritual preparedness and defense may be equal to the emergency at hand, our understanding must be pure Science, accompanied by omnipotent divine Power. If we have the understanding to demonstrate God's allness, then there is no need for material preparedness and defense. But so long as we are taking our human footsteps, which are always indispensable, we do need intelligent material preparedness and defense.
It seems that we, in our present growth, are in a stage of semi-metaphysics wherein, as Mrs. Eddy says, our arguments are based on the false testimony of the material senses as well as on the facts of Mind." (S&H 268:16) But surely no one will underestimate the value of spiritual mindedness and defense, without which no victory is really won. There is nothing soft or weak or effeminate about spiritual preparedness and defense. Spiritual preparedness and defense is the power of divine Love, and is as keen as steel. It takes strength of character, and discipline of thought, and great courage for us to become spiritually prepared to the extent that we have an adequate defense for every emergency. But any degree of spiritual preparedness, however small, is of the utmost value.
Bible history shows us that no matter how great the material preparedness and defense of armies, it is only when spiritual power enters into the arena that victory is won. Why is this so? Because the operations of both armies are based on material observations and sense testimony, on fear and hate and pride, and it is only when the spiritual element enters in, that victory for right is won.
Take for example the armies of Abram. They were considered an adequate defense in that day. They moved as a tower of strength in their preparedness of horsemen and chariots, spears and swords, in great array. But even these great warriors fell back before the oncoming hoards of the enemy, whose fiendish yells of victory were heard above the cries of defeat of Abram's armies. During this long night of defeat and terror, Abram, the one righteous man, watched the coming of Melchizedek, "Prince and Priest of the Most High."
Melchizedek came with the coming of the morning, but not with arms and great numbers of men. He came with only a few attendants. Yet, the armies arrayed against Abram saw this vision of Omnipotence, this coming of Melchizedek, as a great army advancing swiftly upon them. They saw their own fears personified and fell back upon their own swords, and were self-destroyed. Then did Abram and his armies know that God, the Power of right Mind, was the spiritual defense of His people and their strong deliverer.
Again we would say that the armies of Israel arrayed against the Philistines were great armies, both in size and ability, but the armies of Israel were not adequate for the victory over the Philistines. The victory came when David, challenging Goliath, said, "Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands. " (1 Sam. 17:45, 47)
Both Abram and David had within themselves spiritual preparedness. They had gained this spiritual preparedness and power, which was their strong defense through many trying experiences. Abram and David had within themselves clearly defined mental positions, and these mental positions were based on spiritual understanding, not on sense testimony, newspaper reports, or radio announcements. When Abram and David were confronted with overwhelming problems, they had no question or doubt as to the outcome of the situation, because their mental position was the infinitude and allness of God. Some may ask, "Should we never read or listen to the war news?" To ignore the war news would not help in any way to overcome the belief in war. But to read all the war news and listen to all the radio broadcasts, and saturate our mentalities with the horrors of war, only to have these reflected on our bodies and in our homes and business conditions, does not in any way help us, or in any way correct the belief in war. If we do read and listen, it should be for the purpose of handling the error intelligently. Our recognition of man's oneness with God should be a law to the seeming situation. We should not be terrorized by what we hear, but we should deny it, and handle it, and never accept it as fact. Like Abram and David, our thought should be clearly defined as to the facts in the case.
The mental position of each individual student of Christian Science should be clearly defined, when it comes to the social-economic revolutions that confront our world today, and especially when it comes to war. We should base our thinking on the allness of God, and we should be persistent and insistent in establishing a mental position based on Truth. When our mental positions concerning the experiences, which seem to be taking place humanly, are based on divine facts, they are always accompanied with divine power. The time has come when spiritual Truth must be the guide to practical life. We, as Christian Scientists, must seek and accept and fulfill the guidance of spiritual power, which is always above the concepts of the human mind.
As working Christian Scientists, we say that the understanding of Christian Science is equal to every difficulty whether the difficulty is great or small. These are days of seeming great difficulties and great tribulation, and these are wholly mental, and must be met in the mentality. And our demonstrations of the divine facts at hand will depend entirely upon the mental position we maintain, and the results will be in the exact proportion that our thought is based on sense testimony, or is based on the Science of Mind.
All power is in the right thought or in the divine idea, which we individually entertain. This is the only power in the universe. Thinking rightly or establishing the fact about any situation, governs and controls aright the human concept. The power of right thought is in the thinking of it, or in the realization of it. Our understanding is God with us, and is the only power with which we demonstrate. We often hear it said that God governs the war. Let us remember that God is not something separate or remote from man, so we cannot leave all the responsibility of the war to a remote power. What we individually know of Truth is power, and is God in action.
To sense, the war is appalling, but the apathy and indifference and inactive attitude of thought towards the war among the Christian Scientists is far more appalling. To sew and to knit and make garments is a commendable thing, but it is never a substitute for the power of Truth or true thought within the individual consciousness, which is most vital at this time. Day by day we should know that nothing unlike good is taking place. When we read or cognize that our liberty is being threatened by the dominating powers of autocracy, we can even take care of that because our idea of what is true, or the true idea which we individually entertain, is Principle, and as we establish our thought on the side of Principle, this Principle is the law that governs and cares for the universe.
There seems to be two sides to every question, both belief, but our treatment will meet the claim of evil that threatens to overcome the better side or the better belief. As we know there is but one Power, one thought, one side, then what seems to be the better side or the better belief will prevail. Principle and its action is law. Principle and its action is the law to man, that he shall be a state of harmony instead of a state of discord; that he shall be a state of liberty instead of a state of bondage. In regard to our country, we need to know that, "The government is upon His shoulders." Then we can slip out from under the burden and let Truth unfold. We manage to do a lot of things when once we sense the power of right thought, and realize that the right ideas which we entertain are one with Principle, and are law to any situation. We should keep uppermost in our consciousness that God, Mind, is infinite, all power, all action, and then we are able, as Mrs. Eddy says, "to mightily rebuke a single doubt of the ever-present power of divine Spirit to control all the conditions of man and the universe." (My. 294:13)
To waken Christian Scientists throughout the world to a recognition of pure metaphysics, and to a right sense of affirmation and denial, is one of the tasks that lies before us, and this awakening comes only through the demonstration of Love. Christian Scientists in every nation must awaken to the necessity of denying their own faults and the faults of their own nation, and those seeming faults must be denied until they are extinguished from consciousness. In every Christian Science treatment, the only adequate denial is the absolute nothingness of any phase of evil.
The international outlook presents a few great nations glorifying war, and the rest of the nations fearing war. The errors are national pride and national fear, and we are apt to deceive ourselves when it comes to these errors and merely handle national pride. The fear of nations is very great, and we should handle this claim of fear.
Let us remember that the reality and individuality of every nation, as well as the reality and individuality of every man, is forever intact in God and is eternal. The reality and individuality of a nation cannot be lost, but is found in the harmony of its infinite Principle, Love.
To want to wipe Germany off the map, or to feel great disapproval of any person or group of persons, is not correct scientific attitude for any Christian Scientist to take. To make any error, however great, a personal error is not the way to prove its nothingness. Our work as Christian Scientists is to prove the powerlessness and nothingness of erroneous thought, wherever it is seen or whatever its form, through our own correct mental position of God's allness.
As we realize that we are of the Spirit of God, we can control every situation, but in Christian Science we must be scientific in our thinking, or we shall make no demonstrations. As Christian Scientists, we have a responsibility far greater than adherents of other religions, because the Truth about all men and nations has been revealed to us. Our textbook, when speaking of the power of God in healing both mind and body, says, "The tree is typical of man's divine Principle, which is equal to every emergency, offering full salvation from sin, sickness, and death." (S&H 406:4-6) And St. John the Revelator writes: "And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. " (Rev. 22:2) The leaves of the tree stand for pure metaphysics, and any error pertaining to man or nations, that is cognized by pure metaphysics, comes under the all-powerful healing influence of pure metaphysics.
It is quite natural that each one of us should be vitally concerned about our own country, the United States, and about our own boys, and yet, we experience the protective power and healing influence of pure metaphysics in the proportion that we maintain the fact that divine Mind is in operation as all consciousness. God, Mind, is not only in operation as the consciousness of Christian Scientists, and the consciousness of our country and our boys, but God, Mind, is in operation as the consciousness of the whole world. The one infinite consciousness is not exclusively aware of me as a Christian Scientist, and aware of my country and my boy, however much these may engage my attention. If I desire protection for myself, or my country, or my boy by means of divine Science, my protection is in the exact proportion that God, my Mind, knows no distinction of nations or persons or boys. As I understand and maintain that God, my Mind, is the only substance, presence, power, and law to that which constitutes my consciousness humanly as nation, country, or boy, this realization not only protects me, and my country, and my boy, but protects all men and all nations.
Last October I read a personal letter written by a Canadian boy, who had been through the Battle of Dunkirk, and also the battle in France, before France capitulated. He was, at the time, acting as pilot in the Royal Air Force in England. The letter was written to his Sunday School teacher and practitioner who had spent much time with him in preparing his thought for the many problems that might confront him.
This boy quite thoroughly understood the distinction between man and the illusion that appeared as fighting mortals. The practitioner had made it especially clear to the boy concerning the allness and omnipotence of God, and how this omnipotence and omnipresence of God was the substance and wholeness of every human being. She told him that the omnipresence of God could not be pierced by a bullet. This statement of Truth appealed to the boy so much that he wrote it out and placed it on the control of his plane, so that it was right before him.
Arrangements were made that if anything should happen to this boy, that a cable was to be sent to the practitioner. One day a Nazi bomber shot down his plane and he fell to the earth, but even while falling, the thought was with him that Omnipresence was the substance and the wholeness of everything. They picked him up, took him to the hospital, and cabled the practitioner. The boy seemed terribly mangled and the next morning they went to the hospital expecting to find him dead, but instead he was alive and no bones broken. The practitioner had proved that the omnipresence of conscious Life is the substance and the whole of everything that constitutes man. Within a week the boy was back piloting another plane.
The practitioner understood pure metaphysics, and her mental position of God's allness was an adequate defense. She neither affirmed nor denied the illusion, the mere appearance called personal man, but she realized that in the omnipresence of God there is neither "Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, but Christ is all-in-all."
Mortals may say, "What is the remedy for the multitudinous problems of the world?" We know that men evolve and formulate wise laws and just agreements, which to some extent relieve the world's troubles, but mankind is absolutely powerless to change the human heart, from which every form of evil springs. Christ, Truth, Love alone, can do this.
The hope of the world lies in a higher power than human greatness and might. Human wisdom and ability cannot save the world in the perilous hour, but deliverance will come from the Lord who made heaven and earth. And let us remember that "The Lord" is the right idea, or true consciousness, which we entertain concerning things. The thinking of right thoughts or spiritual ideas is the only power in the universe.
We should not be dismayed at man's apparent helplessness. These days are teaching us, universally, the need of divine help. The call of this hour is that man shall return to God, or Truth, because Truth is the only remedy for human ills, and as Christian Scientists we should be giving more attention to spiritual values and moral excellency than ever before. The supreme need in the world, today, is a religion that will lead the people to almighty God and unchangeable Truth, and this religion is the Science of Mind, or Christian Science.
The hope of the world is in Christian Science. The world is desperately in need of a new perspective; a need of an interpreter and an interpretation, and it is coming today into our midst. "What seest thou?" The coming of the Son of man, even the demonstration of divine Science in our midst. Everything, that we now know humanly will be understood in its reality, and will be seen visibly and known tangibly in its divinity.
Are we, with our pure thought, looking through and beyond the mists, the mere appearance of evil, and are we beholding these appearances as the hidden existence of Good? The infinity of Good is discernible in men and nations, since men and nations exist as the manifestation of Infinity. Since our own Mind is the One Mind, it must be pure Science, and pure Science is the only effective power in dealing with the testimony that confronts the world today. When we understand the facts concerning men and nations, and remove our thought from the sense testimony, this fact of men and nations is enlightening, and comforting and reassuring. Let us keep uppermost in our thought that infinite Consciousness is infinitely conscious of all His own. "The Lord is mindful of His own."
There is no limit to the good we can do, when once we refuse to accept the limitations which so-called mortal mind would impose upon us. To become conscious of the world as God is conscious of it, is to overcome the world as Jesus did; that is, we overcome the false human concept of the world. The more we cognize the power we possess, as right thought or divine idea, and exercise this power in a God-like manner, the more we observe the effect of out work. The result is apparent not only to us, but is apparent to all mankind.
Perhaps the most important of all Truth for us to understand today, is that God has chosen us to live in these very years. Just as much so, as it was in divine order that Jesus appeared to humanity in his age, and that Mrs. Eddy appeared to humanity in her age. Out of the billions of persons seemingly born to other ages, we have been chosen to live in this present time, and be present at the christening of a new age.
The world is so confused, that unless we recognize that God has chosen us, and that we are in divine order, we will fail to prepare ourselves for the coming of the Son of man, which is the Son of God; fail to prepare ourselves for the spiritual riches appearing as the new material wealth of this age. Each of us should prepare ourselves, mentally and spiritually. We do not need to bother about anything else. Each one of us should change himself in order to be prepared for the new age.
We need not try to change God, and it is useless for us to try to turn new conditions back into old conditions. Our only problem today is to prepare ourselves to fit into the new conditions of a new world, which is the coming of the Son of man, or the demonstration of Divine Science. Old things and old conditions are passing away. "Behold, I create all things new." The world of mortals is chaotic; it is the breaking up of old beliefs. We see the sign of the coming of the Son of man in all the fluctuations and changes that are taking place today. We are not afraid, but rather do we rejoice that the long night of materialism is fading, and the dawn of a new spiritual day is at hand.
End