All Christian Scientists know the importance of being alert to the suggestions of material sense, so called; and all sincere students are aware of Mrs. Eddy's injunctions regarding the protecting of one's self from unseen evil, and the need of praying daily for one's self. A great sense of happiness and relief would be gained, however, if Christian Scientists, both teachers and pupils, were more receptive to and expressive of the spirit of whole-souled goodness and wisdom which radiates from the writings of our beloved Leader. It is regrettable that we sometimes overstep the mark in our zeal to protect ourselves and to show others how to protect themselves.
Let us remember well that Truth is our protection, and that our need is to understand Truth. In reading such a statement as, "Metaphysics resolves things into thoughts, and exchanges the objects of sense for the ideas of Soul," which appears on page 269 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, let us not forget the latter half of the sentence. How important it is to do the exchanging! And yet, how often we appear to linger with "the objects of sense," and find that our sense of the goodness and friendliness in the Christian Science movement becomes dim and cold! Is not this because we fail to exchange the uncovered sense of evil for the clear perception of the reality of good alone?
Evil claims that it can divide the ranks of Christian Scientists; and is it not true we sometimes admit this claim? Do we not occasionally believe that spiritual sense has revealed to us an insidious form of evil working through other students, and that it is our duty to uncover and point out this evil? We seem to forget, however, that Truth alone can uncover and rebuke evil properly. Let us meet every claim of evil with the truth that good is infinite.
