OUR revered Leader says, "My weary hope tries to realize that happy day, when man shall recognize the Science of Christ and love his neighbor as himself" (Science and Health, p. 55). Christian Science instructs us how to analyze our thoughts and actions, not in vain introspection nor in unenlightened self-consciousness, but in order to ascertain the fundamental motive and to see whether it rests upon the rock of Truth or whether it springs from the shifting sands of mortal will and desire. It is equally useful to apply the same method to many terms in ordinary use, so as to find out their meaning, as spiritually discerned, and thus to avoid deceiving ourselves and others by repeating phrases, without gaining the understanding which will help us to render null and void the operation of false belief on the human mind. The constant work of clearing out mistakes from our own consciousness becomes a duty when we understand that the right apprehension of any fact renders the perception of it easier to the mass; it follows, therefore, that if we all work faithfully on these lines, we must all profit by the results.
Here the question may be asked. What is poverty? and it may be answered that it is a deficiency of necessary or desirable elements. This deficiency may be expressed by different individuals in various ways, such as want of money, food, health, strength, etc., but all the same it is really a belief of mortal mind in the possibility of the lack of some necessity. In the general application of the term we daily hear of poverty, directly or indirectly we know a good deal about it, and we have all suffered from it, more or less, either personally or from a sympathetic standpoint. Human sympathy, fear, sentimentality, the discomfort of seeing others uncomfortable, conscience,—each and all urge us to relieve materially the crying needs of poverty; but how to do it is the question. It is certain that mere money cannot appease this hydra-headed monster of want; few people realize that by feeding it strength is given to it to swallow up more victims and to express itself in new and more hideous forms. Subscriptions, funds, charities, in many instances ultimately defeat their own ends, starting as they do from a false basis and putting off till tomorrow what should have been done today.
The manna that fed the children of Israel was the daily gift of God; there was always enough for the day,and there was no fear that the needs of tomorrow would not be met. In Exodus we read, "And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning. Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses: but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank." The organized charity that looks forward to supplying the indefinite needs of indefinite sufferers, too often becomes corrupted and worthless, as did the unused manna which if gathered up at the right time would have fed the hungry. The old saying, "It is easier to give than it is to take." might be improved by the rendering, "It is easier to give than it is to think," and most Christian Scientists will agree with the statement that one of the greatest temptations in his daily work is to answer the appeal for help with money, to rely on his purse before applying to Principle. True compassion alone resolutely turns to God, and in the understanding of Him as the only source and supply, is able to relieve at one time the awful spiritual lack in the human consciousness and its material expression.
