IN the world today, democracy is on trial. There are many problems to be solved, and those with vision are turning to God as the only source for the right solution. In turning to God, the needed law and grace so essential to the correct answer are found. The disciple John tells us that "the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." And the exposition of her discovery of God's law and grace was given to us by our beloved Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, so that all may understand spiritual law and grace and their application to our problems. Our need is to learn how to practice the truth which has been revealed, and to maintain and express it in our daily affairs.
The earnest student of Christian Science soon learns the necessity of faithfully practicing the truth he understands in the activities of our branch churches. Here we are faced with the problem of acting unitedly under the direction of the divine Mind. In all our church affairs, nothing is of greater importance than the elimination of the false beliefs which would interfere with our understanding of God's will. Our metaphysical work must destroy self-will, false ambition, and pride.
Speaking of Christian Scientists, our Leader says ( Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 451): "They must renounce aggression, oppression and the pride of power. Christianity, with the crown of Love upon her brow, must be their queen of life". Aggression, oppression, and pride of power are temptations which seem to lie in wait to deceive all. We, as Christian Scientists, must learn how to protect our own thoughts and consequently our church from any or all of these evils. We must renounce them all. A definition given for "renounce" is "an affirmative declaration of abandonment" (Webster's New International Dictionary). Thus in order to abandon the belief of aggressive or unprovoked attacks of error, we must affirmatively declare that all such attacks made against our democratic form of government are powerless to destroy it. We must take every step necessary to remove the seeming effects of aggressive thinking, entertained either by others or by ourselves.
