Along the path of a nature trail, an ancient forest monarch lies uprooted. An attached card tells its story. The inscription reads, "Its downfall was occasioned by the fact that its root system did not strike deeply enough into the soil." Apparently, its lot had been easy. It had grown in a wealth of deep, rich earth, needing only surface roots to provide for its rapid, luxurious development. Too, it had the cloistered protection of the great forest against wind and storm.
Not far distant, another ancient tree still rears its colossal head. One marvels that this one has been able to survive. Its story has been different from that of its fallen neighbor. Its deep roots having a grip of iron, the tree has clung for a century or more to the barren, rocky wall of a wind-swept, storm-churned ravine. Although unprotected, still it displays the majestic triumph of a conqueror. On trial, it survived the storm its seemingly more fortunate brother did not withstand.
The fallen tree is a reminder of the Master's words to his disciples as he watched the rich young man sadly turn away, "Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!"
One turns in thought to another venerable tree, standing triumphant on a New England mountain summit, a majestic oak whose inspiration our beloved Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, has immortalized with poetic fervor. On page 20 of her "Poems" we read:
"Faithful and patient be my life as thine;
As strong to wrestle with the storms of
time;
As deeply rooted in a soil of love;
As grandly rising to the heavens above."
Viewing her grand, triumphant life, one rejoices that her prayer was so abundantly answered. The reason is apparent. Her faith, her patience, her strength to wrestle with the storms no other Christian Scientist has been called upon to brave, her spiritual victories lifting her to an understanding attained by no other since Christ Jesus—all are easily explained. Never for an instant did she trust in or depend upon that which employs only surface roots. She rooted her thought deep in the soil of spiritual understanding. She progressed, so prepared and so fortified by her understanding of the truth that, as her work rose in power, the storms of the higher elevation found her too deeply anchored to fall.
Standing with her in the early days when Christian Science was not so widely accepted as it is today, her students strove zealously for a faith so deeply rooted in understanding that the resisting of the storms of criticism and persecution which they encountered assured rather than imperiled their growth heavenward. After many years of teaching, Mrs. Eddy made a statement, later recorded in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 29), of gripping importance to Christian Scientists today: "In 1867, I taught the first student in Christian Science. Since that date I have known of but fourteen deaths in the ranks of my about five thousand students."
The precedent of such a record sets a high standard for her followers. However, regardless of this attainment, the present demands that students individually measure up, even as did her earlier followers, to the Christian Science requirements of consecration, obedience, watchfulness, alertness to duty, and faith. For the sake of its present protection and future well-being, it is imperative that the spiritual growth of our Cause be kept uppermost in our thoughts. Christian Scientists must not permit prosperity and increase of church membership to mesmerize them into the belief that in these alone lies growth or adequate protection.
Growth is spiritual. Our Cause advances only as its individual members advance Spiritward. In order that the present demonstration of Christian Science may keep ahead of outward prosperity, it is necessary that Christian Scientists heed carefully how they grow. The silent sermon of the two trees warns, challenges, awakens, and inspires them. Are they, it questions, hungrily and thirstily reaching deep into the soil of Love with strong and vigorous search for spiritual understanding, or are they content idly to thrust out only such surface roots as are required to secure the health and wealth necessary for human comfort and present material satisfaction?
A college president often admonished his students to take time daily to face themselves; to weigh their thoughts, their words, their acts, their idealism, their ambition, in the scales of the Christ-standard, in order to ascertain whether or not they were constantly persevering along the straight road leading to their goal. Such a course is equally wise for Christian Scientists. Daily to challenge one's thinking and appraise its outlook, its motives, its aims, and its aspirations, either will bring one a great sense of confidence, power, and rejoicing, or else will arrest and awaken thought, and turn conscious effort into a better direction.
One can well afford to face oneself often with some such questions as the following: Am I applying Christian Science for the attainment of human gratification or for spiritual growth? Am I striving through it to gain wealth, popularity, power, place, intellectuality, or other material ends, or am I striving to gain such an understanding of God's spiritual ideas that in them I shall find substance and harmony, even should human conditions change? Am I endeavoring to gain the seeming ease and pleasure of a peaceful human existence or to attain such a demonstrable concept of the peace and harmony of the kingdom of heaven as to be able, if need be, to rise exultant above the storm of mortal existence, secure in a firm, calm understanding of eternal life? Am I depending on others for my well-being, or am I relying on God?
Every conscious moment one is thinking, debating, choosing, or deciding. If human expediency overbalances the scales of thought, mortal attainments may even be rapid and luxurious, until that hour comes when mere surface roots can no longer steady the weight of the material burden. On the other hand, if one is constantly praying, "Shepherd, show me how to go" (ibid., p. 397), divine inspiration will so guide, direct, purify, correct, and uplift the humble, receptive heart that the roots supporting its growth will be strong and deep, so that success will not bewilder nor adversity interrupt its triumphant hold on the divine and the eternal.
To follow the former method is to attempt to utilize Christian Science for material benefit; to pursue the latter course is scientifically to demonstrate its eternal truths. The gaining of wealth, position, power, popularity, or physical well-being is not in itself a demonstration of Truth, in Christian Science. These things are material and temporal, while Truth is the everywhere eternal Spirit, God. Since God does not produce matter, does not make man material or subject him to material conditions, even the manifestations of material betterment cannot in themselves be called Christian Science demonstrations. It is even possible that they may be the outgrowth of trends of thought which are the very opposite of the pure teachings of Christian Science, such as covetousness, idolatry, false ambition, fear, pride, selfishness, domination, injustice, or even dishonesty, and that they might tend to lead one to false trusts and to the worship of self instead of the worship of God.
A Christian Science demonstration is mental and spiritual. It is the conscious apprehension of God, whereby His presence, power, omniscience, goodness, and love become known. Such a demonstration is permanent and eternal, utterly apart from place, time, or circumstance. True concepts gained and maintained in human consciousness inevitably express themselves in human welfare. One demonstrating Christian Science naturally expresses humanly more love, intelligence, health, harmony, trustworthiness, goodness, and wisdom, thereby proving himself a more valuable member of society, more needed, more sought after, better appreciated, and better rewarded. These things, however, are the outgrowth of demonstration, and are not to be mistaken for the demonstration itself.
To seek Christian Science for the loaves and fishes instead of for the demonstration of Truth is an act of ignorance. One keeping the chaff and discarding the wheat may be able to fill his human measures and add to his material burden, but in so doing he will fail utterly to provide for his need.
The demonstration of the truth of Life naturally quickens thought to a more harmonious, healthy state of consciousness. It naturally heals sickness, alleviates suffering, overcomes sin, quickens activity, averts accident, prevents contagion, dissolves fear, and conquers death. But these are only the evidences of the demonstration of the truth of Life which is continuous, perfect, harmonious, and eternal.
The demonstration of Christian Science ushers in the complete spiritualization of one's thought, so that it becomes anchored deeply in spiritual understanding. As such activity prevails, present-day Christian Scientists will continue and increase the wonderful record of demonstration set by their beloved Leader, and the universal acceptance of Truth will enhance demonstration and its manifestations rather than lull students into a state of apathetic, indolent satisfaction in an easy human experience.
Thus earnest present-day students find in the mountain sentinel a lesson. They know that all true growth is the result of faithful, patient endeavor. They watch, too, to see that they are "grandly rising to the heavens above." Faithfully and patiently they pursue the urge from above for higher, finer attainment, and take heed the while that their root growth equals their soaring aspirations, in order that their accomplishments may be rooted in the soil of spiritual understanding. By so doing, they know that they will be able to stand, firm and courageous, in sunshine and in storm, at peace and continuously harmonious.
Copyright, 1935, by The Christian Science Publishing Society, One, Norway Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Entered at Boston post office as second-class matter. Acceptance for mailing at a special rate of postage provided for in section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized on July 11, 1918.
