THE complex civilization of today presents to youth, as to all, a changing order of social, economic, and governmental life which involves the fundamental relation of the individual to society. The resultant conflicting currents of thought are certainly not of the making of any one group; nevertheless, they demand of youth, as of all others, alertness and courage in making readjustments to the new order which is steadily replacing the old. During the transition evil is ever ready with its lying suggestions to deceive the unwary. Thus today we hear much about "self-determination" and "personal liberty." Posing as the champion of individuality, evil would reconstruct it to conform to an exaggerated egoism, and by mistaking license for liberty would separate youth and adult from every law of God and man. The present acute problem of lawlessness is an outcome of this error.
A small group of Christian Scientists gathered in the early morning hours, and with simple and impressive service laid the corner stone of the new Christian Science Publishing House in Boston. Though quietly performed, the laying of the corner stone was of profound significance to the whole world. The need for the enlarged facilities afforded by the new building indicates that the Christian Science publications have encircled the globe, carrying the Christ-message of healing to the ends of the earth.
The laying of a corner stone is the formal inauguration of the erection of a building. The stone is of much importance and, as with all the other stones, it must be laid with precision and skill. Slight inaccuracies in the placing of any stone might result in greater discrepancies in the completed building; thus a level is used to determine whether a stone is truly laid. A corner stone has come to typify the fundamentals of character upon which one's usefulness and happiness depend. This symbolism is seen in the passage from Psalms, "That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace."
