Unity, whether in international relationships, in business, home affairs, or in church organization, can be realized only in proportion as each individual recognizes and proves man's at-one-ment with divine Principle, God. It is not merely by assimilating and expressing the same views and opinions as do our neighbors that mankind manifests unity of thought and purpose, but by individual demonstration of Principle, each one in his own work; just as the longed-for establishment of universal peace will depend, not solely on the agreement of delegates with one another, but on the nations' united demonstration of individual honesty, purity of motive, and spiritual enlightenment. In church membership, likewise, it is only by individual understanding of Principle and demonstration of divine law that unity can be established and maintained.
Christ Jesus knew of the seemingly increasing subtlety of evil suggestion; and so he commanded his followers to watch. He did not, however, enjoin them to watch one another, but in humility to watch their own thoughts,—to watch and pray. One of the hidden ways of evil, by which it seeks to reverse the divine fact of unity, substituting disruption and separation therefor, is to suggest to the members of the Church of Christ, Scientist, that this or that worker is not correctly interpreting the duties of the office he occupies,—is not doing the work of the office as it should be done. A criticism of this kind, passing from mouth to mouth, gathers in its train an ever increasing burden of unkindness, distrust, and falsehood, until it reaches some alert student who, realizing that Love "thinketh no evil," is able to destroy the lying rumor, and so prove its nothingness.
It should be clearly understood that divine Love governs all things, and that the reflection of divine Love is ever uplifting and affirmative. Criticism, doubt, condemnation, and false witness-bearing are not included in Truth or in Truth's working; and these false arguments, wherever found, engaged in, or listened to, plainly point to a sad lack of understanding of Christian Science. It is easy for mortals to listen to and believe in false suggestion concerning a Reader, a practitioner, or a board of directors; but the Christian Scientist knows that he needs to be alert, if he would keep the ninth commandment in its true spiritual significance and not bear false witness against his neighbor.
The adversary is still abroad "seeking whom he may devour," sowing seeds of distrust and fear, endeavoring to spread dissatisfaction and doubt, and to foster "suspicious distrust where honor is due," as described by Mary Baker Eddy in her wonderfully enlightening article in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 211), entitled "Ways that are Vain." Whether these suggestions of error come through false mental channels, or by way of malicious gossip, or by the still more subtle, cleverly worded letter or leaflet, profuse with quotations from our Leader's writings, and circulated among members of The Mother Church,—whatever the method employed, the alert Christian Scientist will instantly detect these efforts of error to trespass on individual right thinking, and, regardless of personalities concerned, be able to see the impossibility of the destruction of one iota of hope and faith in the field by these unauthorized and unconstitutional efforts of error to gain a hearing.
The Church of Christ, Scientist, stands unmoved, its great mission protected for all time by the Church Manual. It would be well if those laboring under a sense of grievance, whether on their own account or that of somebody else, were to realize that no problem is ever solved by attempting to influence the thoughts of others erroneously or by erroneous methods. Let those persons holding strong opinions pause before they seek to spread their views among their brethren. The unauthorized distribution and circulation of personal criticism aimed at individuals occupying official positions in our church organization is an unwarrantable nuisance. While time lasts there will be those who rebel against law, order, and properly constituted authority,— those whose sense of personality labors under a grievance, those whose egotism is ever clamoring for attention or for personal expression; and there will be manifold excuses offered for their activities, which, if encouraged, can only confuse and disrupt, turning those, who are taken in by them, aside from steady demonstration of Christian Science, and thus hindering our great Cause,—all of which is exactly what error would like to do. In this connection, our Leader has given us some wonderful advice on pages 7,8, and 9 of "No and Yes."
The success of our movement, together with the protection of its organization, depends on the individual demonstration of each member. Divine Love alone has power; and the guidance of our brother in his work may safely be left to God. Let us see to it that we do our own work well. Tenderness and compassion for all mankind; faithful adherence to our Church Manual; wise restraint from discussing error, and an ever increasing watchfulness in guarding our thought from suggestions of evil, will keep us in the straight and narrow way of Christian Science. Let us pray often to the Father, commune with the one Mind, in earnest humility examining every thought and motive of the heart. Thus, with joy and gratitude we shall realize our willingness and ability "to refuse the evil, and choose the good,"—a sign prophesied by Isaiah as heralding the coming of the Christ to human thought.
