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.
