To those familiar with the life and works of Jesus Christ, the accounts of the treatment he received at the hands of his persecutors seem almost incredible, and we are astonished that one whose only work was doing good, and whose life was a constant self-sacrifice should receive such treatment. Especially when we read of the crucifixion, do we feel pity for his enemies whose blindness and hardness of heart caused them to put to such a death their best friend.
While reading recently this reference from Science and Health, p. 51, "The motives of his persecutors were pride, envy, cruelty, and vengeance," the question came to me with startling force, "Am I crucifying Christ to-day?" and a few moments' thought made it plain to me that if we, as Christian Scientists, allow the suggestions of error, envy, hate, jealousy, criticism, etc., to find lodgment in our consciousness we are certainly crucifying the Christ, Truth, which has been awakened in our thought through the study of Christian Science, for the spiritual idea of Life cannot dwell where self is dominant.
We might say without hesitancy that we would have had no part in the crucifixion of Jesus, but are we not giving place to the same animal instinct, the error that crucifies and kills, if we hate or judge falsely our brother? Are we not defacing, defiling, and dethroning the Christ-image that we should reflect? Are we not excluding from our brother's consciousness and our own the healing Christ?
