In a recent tribute to Abraham Lincoln, it was said, "He stepped out of the environment which shut him in." Though reared in lowly circumstances and for the most part faced by an antagonistic world, Lincoln, through his humanity, humility, simplicity, and integrity, and his courageous, confident perseverance in a righteous cause based on an unwavering trust in God, made his life an inspiration to all who long to aid their fellow men.
Individual spiritual progress must necessarily precede the realization of universal brotherhood. Mary Baker Eddy, the beloved Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, aptly pointed out this fact (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 191): "The human thought must free itself from self-imposed materiality and bondage." Such effort must be voluntary, steadfast, and intelligent.
In pursuance of her teachings, many have proved that racial characteristics, material beliefs of environment, heredity, health, limitation, age, and insufficient opportunity are not insurmountable barriers to progress; and that they lose their seemingly binding power when man's true individuality as both the agent for and the recipient of God's impartial protection is actually recognized and claimed. Proportionable to the practical utilization of divine law, in overcoming discord of every nature, is the realization of freedom, joy, and happy accomplishment.
