PICTURE to yourself a large company of soldiers on a long march at night through mountainous regions covered with dense forests. The trail which they are following leads upward, and is straight and narrow. At frequent intervals there appear to be short cuts, trails leading to the left or right of the straight and narrow one, which the unwary might follow with the mistaken belief that by so doing he would reach his destination sooner and with less effort. But owing to the fact that these trails all lead downward, they are to be avoided. As the soldiers march on, sometimes stumbling over hidden rocks, bruising themselves against unseen objects, or almost falling in the darkness, one of the company suddenly remembers that in his equipment there is a well-filled lamp, and if he will but take it out, trim it, light it, and hold it aloft, it will light not only his own path but that of his fellow-soldiers as well.
Just as soon as the one soldier has lifted on high his light, those near him see the good accomplished thereby, and are reminded that in their own equipment also are well-filled lamps. One after another lights his lamp, until through the abundance of light the way is made plain, the dangers are avoided, the surrounding gloom is dissipated, and the misleading trails are readily detected because the light reveals their downward-tending course. What a blessing is the light; how it helps them all! Because of it they progress faster, and conditions are in every way improved. Is it not evident that the more light those soldiers have, the better it is for them? And if from time to time they are joined by others who, going the same way, are holding aloft their lamps, is it not cause for gratitude and rejoicing? How absurd it would be for any one of the company to feel envious or jealous because more and more of those in his immediate vicinity were carrying lighted lamps as brilliant as his own! Each individual light helps all; and the combined light of all helps each individual marcher. In the shedding abroad of the much-needed light there is no competition, but only cooperation.
In a small city where there were but a few Christian Science practitioners and one branch church, two students of Christian Science met one day and talked about the arrival in their midst of another practitioner. One of the students, who was rather new in the practice of Christian Science, voiced the opinion that another worker was not needed in that field, declaring that the newcomer should go to a different locality, because the practitioners already established in the city could take care of all calls for assistance from those desiring Christian Science help. The other student voiced the truth that in the practice of Christian Science there is no competition, but only cooperation; and the result was a healing in the consciousness of the newer student. In the vast vineyards of our Lord a mighty harvest is awaiting the coming of the laborers, which even now are but few. There is work enough for all, and ample reward for all in the service of God.
