Much of the prejudice against Christian Science is the result of misunderstanding. This misunderstanding is caused by the different point of view, held by those who reject the Science. "Put yourself in his Place" is a good name for a powerful novel, but better advice to those who reject, through prejudice, what seems to many a great truth. The Christian Scientist takes his place, in thought, by God's side, attempts to get the Divine point of view, judges all things from the spiritual side. "The far-off divine event, to which the whole creation moves," is a present accomplished fact. Abraham saw Christ's day and was glad. Moses endured as seeing Him who is invisible. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for." Hope is the sap of thought, Faith is the flower, Knowledge the fruit. "I know whom I have believed," Paul says.
The tree reaches the height of its power when it fruits. The individual reaches the height of his power when he knows. The fruit is in the sap. The tree evolves what is involved in its sap. The sap is fruit in solution. The fruit is the final expression of the tree's life. Now Hope is but Knowledge in solution, and Knowledge is but Hope in full expression. If the tree were conscious of itself, and the final fact of its being, it would live in the thought of fruit all the time. Thus conscious, trying to express itself to a tree living in the sap, blindly flowering and fruiting, it would be misunderstood and rejected. The Christian Scientist takes his stand in the fruit-stage of man, sees in hope the "promise and potency" of fruit, sees in faith a nearer stage to fruit, thinks fruit, talks fruit, realizes fruit, and of course is misunderstood by those who think and talk sap and flowers.
The architect sees the perfect building before a stone is laid. The artist sees a perfect picture before the brush is used. The farmer sees the ripe harvest before the land is plowed. The building, the picture, the harvest, are but expressions, more or less complete, of what was in the mind of the thinker and worker. If we could see as they see, get their point of view, what is real to them would be real to us. We believe that God sees a perfect universe, a perfect humanity. Christian Science is an attempt to get God's point of view, realize here and now what is present to God. In this attempt the Science denies what appeals to the senses. The fig-tree, that had no fruit in its sap, was not a tree, but a lie. Jesus faced it, the Truth triumphed. Leprosy, blindness, dumbness, death, were not of the essence of man, only accidents. Jesus denied their power, and they ceased to be.
