Though many thinkers and writers seem nowadays much concerned as to whether civilization is to survive the war experience, the average person might be nonplussed if he were asked to explain what civilization means to him. Thus in Mr. Bernard Shaw's latest play the Vice-President of the Travellers' Club boasts, "I have been everywhere: I hold the record in the Club for civilized countries," and he is promptly asked, "What is a civilized country?" All he can do in response is flounder about: "It is—well, it is a civilized country. I don't know: I—I—I— I shall go mad if you keep on asking me to tell you these things that everybody knows. Countries where you can travel comfortably. Where there are good hotels." To be civilized means to the average person, indeed, to enjoy what is considered a state of material well-being, such as is exemplified in comfortable travel and good hotels. Against a broader definition of civilization than this the human mind rebels, because spiritual truth taking the place of mortal concepts stirs material complacency to the utmost.
In proportion as the true citizenship is found in heaven, and not on a material earth, the civilization that is based on Principle is understood. The consciousness of harmony requires orderly action as the truth of living. This action, which is the effect of Mind quite apart from any belief in matter, exists wholly in Mind and is sustained perfectly by Mind. Real man in the image and likeness of God is an intelligent name given to this spiritual action. The true civilization is that state of living in which all activity consciously relies for its order and effectiveness on the one Mind, infinite Principle.
This, of course, is a state of living to which mortality has not attained. Nevertheless all the living that is real, eternal and not mortal, is now and always has been the perfect idea in infinite Mind, altogether separate from any supposition of matter. In other words, the citizenship of genuine spiritual man is, in fact, in heaven, in Mind, and this continuous dwelling in Principle is the immortal civilization which the human sense of progress only counterfeits. Real man, then, is manifesting only real Life, which is pure, free, and unlimited, with no material or sensual elements.
