RESPONSIVENESS to divine direction is meekness. Against the background of environment as delineated by physical sense, true meekness may appear startling, even dramatic. To itself it is always spontaneous and irresistible, because it moves in the gentleness of its native atmosphere of Spirit. When Andrew brought Simon Peter to Jesus with the words, "We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ," the Master's welcome spanned the new disciple's future career with the prophecy, "Thou shalt be called ... A stone." At first, Peter doubtless looked for a Messiahship that should reveal itself in terms of worldly might. Instead, his first meeting with Jesus brought him in meekness to the threshold of an experience which was at length to separate him from faith in human power.
Christian Science teaches that we must be reconciled to God; that is, it teaches us to be meek, and to demonstrate self-government through obedience to the divine will. It teaches us to seek salvation in the message of Truth, by teaching us that we can lay hold of the message only by acknowledging the divinely derived authority of the messenger. Our refusal to separate the truth of Christian Science from Mrs. Eddy and the church which she founded, must be the proof that we understand this.
On page 473 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," our Leader speaks of "Christ" as "the ideal Truth." Truth is forever available in fulfillment of the desire for God which men individually express, however feeble the approach may be. Peter seized this fact with characteristic boldness when, first of the disciples, he declared, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." In that inspired avowal Peter identified the messenger with his message, and the message with its divine source. Mrs. Eddy's profound perception of the spiritual significance of this event is summed up in an impressive sentence on page 138 of Science and Health: "It was now evident to Peter that divine Life, Truth, and Love, and not a human personality, was the healer of the sick and a rock, a firm foundation in the realm of harmony."
