Our Leader once said to pupils who were considering the advisability of erecting a church building, "Let there first be a Church of Christ in reality—and in the hearts of men before one is organized" (Mary Baker Eddy: A Life Size Portrait, by Dr. Powell). Not only for those students was this advice significant, but it is also of the greatest value to all present-day Christian Scientists who wish to erect their own church building; for this recommendation is an unequivocal exhortation for church members to begin with spiritual building. This spiritual building is the reflecting of Truth, Life, and Love by each individual. This active reflecting of Truth requires that the commands be obeyed, on which Jesus said the whole law depends, namely, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind," and, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
Do we really love our neighbor as ourself, if we judge his thinking and acting, but are not inspired by the divine Principle, Love? Criticizing unjustly the officers of the church, the Readers, and individual church members is not constructive. Whoever truly loves humanity and longs for its salvation will make an effort to support every church officer with loving, true thoughts. The old habit of falsely judging is rebuked in Paul's words, "Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things." Mrs. Eddy saw how common and widespread is the error of personal judging, for she expressly admonishes us in "A Rule for Motives and Acts" (Church Manual, Art. VIII, Sect. 1): "The members of this Church should daily watch and pray to be delivered from all evil, from prophesying, judging, condemning, counseling, influencing or being influenced erroneously."
If Christian Scientists are continuously conscious that there is but one Mind by which all are governed, it will be easy for them to see and acknowledge themselves and their neighbors as God's children. They will then not be tempted to view error as personal. Regarding error as personal results either in our beholding our neighbor as sinning, sick, and suffering, or, by reason of a mistaken concept of brotherly love, in our not wanting to see error uncovered for what it is, hence excusing and offering it protection and shelter. In the first instance the First Commandment is broken, because an evil mind is accorded recognition in addition to the one infinite and allpowerful Mind, God. In the second instance, appears the error indicated in Mrs. Eddy's words in "Retrospection and Introspection" (p. 63), "Whosoever covers iniquity becomes accessory to it."
