In Christian Science churches and societies the annual elections bring opportunities for the exercise of many Christian virtues; for the doing of much Christianly metaphysical work; for the casting out of personal preferences and opinions; for the laying hold of a larger understanding of the way to trust God with the government of all things. Each year Christian Scientists all over the world are thus called upon to awaken yet more fully to the realization of what their church organization, individually and collectively, stands for, and how its interests and activities may be advanced most effectively.
No member can properly fulfill his obligations to this organization who does not understand something of the tremendous breadth of its purpose and the marvelous opportunities it affords of helping the world into the recognition that the kingdom of heaven, as Jesus said, is "at hand." Now Christian Science reveals the fact that heaven simply means God's government understood, demonstrated, realized. In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 587) Mrs. Eddy defines it as "harmony; the reign of Spirit; government by divine Principle; spirituality; bliss; the atmosphere of Soul." And in the Christian Science church organization we find ample occasions to prove that this heaven is present here and now,—this heaven into which no personal will or claim of personal power can enter to mar the bliss of God's perfect control!
Because Christian Science teaches us that God is the only Mind and that we are to prove this constantly by accepting and entertaining no other, we see that we as Christian Scientists may and indeed must demonstrate this in our churches if we are to help the world to understand and yield to that perfect government of God, divine Mind, which constitutes heaven itself. Our effort, therefore, to trust God with our churches and with their members becomes a world-wide beneficence; for in thus proving God's government we are giving a concrete example of the possibility of leaving all to God and of evidencing thereby His infinite perfection, intelligence, and love. Such reliance on God should certainly be brought out at our elections, for at no time is there greater need to trust His omnipotent, omnipresent guidance.
