OCCASIONALLY one hears the phrase "a good demonstration" used in order to describe an enrichment of some sort which has taken place in the life of a student of Christian Science. Sometimes the words seem to imply that some material accretion is a demonstration; that greater luxury, expressed in more wealth and ease, may be the necessary fruitage of our understanding of Christian Science. Now this arises from a misconception of the meaning of demonstration. To demonstrate means to show forth or to prove. That which is demonstrable can be proved if the demonstrator has sufficient knowledge of his subject. To do this he must understand the law which governs it, and he must work out the problem according to rule. His demonstration is the actual proof that he understands his subject.
In Christian Science we set out to demonstrate our understanding of divine Principle, which is unvarying, changeless good. We do this by declaring the fact of the allness of God, and of man's real relation to Him. God being All, man is included in this allness as idea or reflection, partaking of the nature of his source. Our demonstration is made when we become so conscious of our relation to God, and of His allness, that nothing else is real to us. That conscious realization is demonstration, because we see that nothing but God is acting, ever has acted, or ever will act; and that His action is always harmonious, beneficent, loving, and complete. The result will appear as the healing of whatever seems to be wrong, whether disease, lack, impurity, or inaction, and the outward sign is simply the inevitable result of demonstration.
It is necessary for Christian Scientists to think clearly in this regard, for the word is very often misused. For example, it is not demonstration to try to get something for nothing, or to take advantage of another's ignorance of the value of his goods, in order to enrich ourselves. It is not demonstration to multiply matter, or to attempt to manipulate circumstances so that they fall out to our good. Mrs. Eddy gives us an unfailing test of demonstration when she says in Science and Health (p. 34), "Demonstration is Immanuel, or God with us." Anything that might result in hurt or loss to another will not measure up to that standard, however much it may seem to benefit ourselves; for "God with us" means that the unerring nature of Truth, divine Principle, is manifested in loving-kindness, probity, and righteous dealing in our daily experience.
