I have been asked to give the meaning of the word "Life" from the Christian Science standpoint. I feel almost helpless at the thought of adequately presenting so infinite an idea in so few moments, and yet I have an earnest desire to show you that, though it is infinite, it is infinitely simple; so simple that its very simplicity and nearness dazzle the vision at first. It is profound in that it extends over infinity and endures throughout eternity.
There is but one Principle of Life. In proportion as we understand this Principle we understand the universe; and to understand the source, nature, and destiny of even a grain of sand on the seashore, we must first learn this Principle.
In endeavoring to find the nature and source of Life mankind have, through all time, stood at the point of result, and have sought, by studying carefully and dissecting minutely forms of matter, to discover causation or Life. Even when they sought to understand the source of so-called mental life and action, the search was carried on upon a material basis, in that it took into consideration the processes of matter,—birth, growth, maturity, and decay. Only disappointment has been the reward of such labor. Lord Kelvin, one of the first, if not the first, living scientist, said in a recent address to the British Association of Physical Scientists, "There is nothing in science that reaches the origin of anything at all."
