In Christian Science, love is clearly defined and clearly differentiated from much in human experience that goes by that name; and to anyone gaining an understanding of it, it readily becomes the most interesting thing in the world. It is shown by this Science to be the expression of God, divine Love. Wherever love is found in its true character, therefore, it is not a mere human sentiment, or anything derived from a human or material source; it is a manifestation of God. As a human being, opening his eyes to the morning light, recognizes that the light is from the sun, so the student of Christian Science, opening his thought to Love, perceives that he has thereby an experience of something outside the material sense of himself—an experience of God. John wrote in one of his epistles, "Every one that loveth . . . knoweth God."
The immense practical significance of this fact appears from the understanding which Christian Science, in its revelation of the spiritual meaning of the Scriptures, gives of the nature of God. Mrs. Eddy has shown, for example, in her spiritual interpretation of the Lord's Prayer (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 17) and elsewhere, that God is All-power, or omnipotence. Wherever love appears, then, it is a manifestation of power—power that knows no resistance; and the experience of Christian Scientists bears out this fact. They have seen love, the reflection of divine Love, melt all sorts of apparent resistance. So consistently have they seen it do this, and so clearly does the reason for the result appear in Science, that in any instance of momentary failure to overcome a difficulty, they know that it is only failure to love in the true sense, and they know of course where to look for the remedy. They know that love, in its true meaning, as the Apostle Paul said, "never faileth."
Mrs. Eddy also perceived and set forth in her writings that God is Mind —Mind that is perfect and not limited. To love truly, then, is to manifest perfect intelligence. That is a high standard, and one that stands as an inspiring challenge to every student of Christian Science. It is the standard of present spiritual reality. And the lesser corollary is similarly useful: that to gain in any measure a better understanding of divine Love, and thereby to love more truly, is to manifest more fully the intelligence which is not limited or hampered; and this, again, is confirmed in the experience of Christian Scientists. They see continually and progressively that a limited sense of intelligence is corrected by a better sense of love. Where wisdom has seemed to be lacking; where thought has seemed to be labored, instead of spontaneous, in the spiritually natural way; where memory has seemed to be insufficient, or inspiration lacking, or interest dulled, the needed corrective has been found again and again in earnest endeavor to be more truly loving.
