OVERCOMING THE FOE IN AMBUSH

The word "ambush" is derived from  boscus, a wood, where certainly there is ample opportunity to waylay and launch a surprise attack upon an unwary and unwatchful adversary. An army advancing over difficult country will naturally take the precaution of sending forward patrols to discover and warn the main force of lurking dangers and, so far as possible, clear the way. Failure to take this step may involve disaster.

Late in the nineteenth century, Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, presented the world with a radical exposition of the nature of evil, namely, its nothingness. But while Christian Science consistently teaches and demonstrates the unreality of evil, it certainly does not teach that evil's claim to reality is to be ignored. Throughout the writings of Mrs. Eddy may be found strong demands to overcome evil and prove its unreality, in the light of the allness of God, good. Mrs. Eddy writes in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 126), "Christian Scientists have a strong race to run, and foes in ambush." She adds, "But bear in mind that, in the long race, honesty always defeats dishonesty."

Nobody would dispute the fact that evil seems, to the material senses, to be real and to have power, as witness the condition of the world today; but, through the understanding which Christian Science gives, this seeming power can be proved, here and now, to be the negative of all that is real and true. Claiming to have intelligence and power, evil seeks to overthrow good, the good which should be nowhere more manifest than it is in the lives of Christian Scientists and in the churches of our movement, which are destined to have a large part in establishing the kingdom of God, the reign of harmony, on earth. Mrs. Eddy has told us(Miscellaneous Writings, pp. 144, 145), "The Church, more than any other institution, at present is the cement of society, and it should be the bulwark of civil and religious liberty."

Open attacks upon Christian Science have united more firmly the ranks of its adherents. Error, claiming intelligence and reality, sometimes adopts, however, less obvious methods. Let us examine the demands made by our Leader in her definition of "Church" on page 583 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," which reads in part: "The Church is that institution, which affords proof of its utility and is found elevating the race, rousing the dormant understanding from material beliefs to the apprehension of spiritual ideas and the demonstration of divine Science, thereby casting out devils, or error, and healing the sick."

One of the suggestions which, if listened to, would reduce church attendance is apathy—just sheer inertia. Have we not all been tempted to relax into mental drowsiness, telling ourselves perhaps that in these busy times we need a rest? Christians, awake! The only real rest is in doing God's work.

Perhaps we are influenced by the weather. It is raining too hard; it is too cold or too hot to go to church. We should instantly recognize these suggestions for what they are—namely, temptations to let evil interfere with the fulfilling of our duty to God and His Church.

But someone may say: Why all this insistence on church attendance? Does it not savor of old theology? Can I not equally well study the Lesson-Sermon in the quietness of my own room? What a subtle argument is that! Let us ask ourselves, Would we invite a friend to dine with us and at the appointed time go out to a theater, leaving our friend to eat alone? What should we think of one who accorded us this treatment? Yet we do not always see so clearly in regard to church attendance. We have invited to our churches the sick and weary of heart, those seeking, perhaps despairingly, for some way of relief from a burden of worry, of grief, or perhaps of sin. Divine Love, which never faileth, directs them to our services. Where are we, their hosts? Are we there to receive them, to support them, to help heal them? Or are we at home enjoying the comforting assurance that we are attending the morning service by reading our Lesson?

And then there is the Martha consciousness. Alas for the mesmerism exercised by pots and pans! True there are household duties in plenty, to be faithfully performed, not lightly to be put aside. Martha had indeed a high sense of duty; but our Master's commendation was for Mary, who left all to learn of the more important things while the opportunity was hers, those things to which Jesus referred when he said (Matt. 24:35), "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away."

Let there be no mistake, however; the Martha consciousness is not found among womenfolk alone: men may be equally victimized by it. The garden or allotment must be attended to; the automobile must be cleaned or greased; that odd job of carpentry has to be seen to; the office work has to be caught up with. The foe in ambush will suggest that these duties are all humanly necessary, even if it does mean that in attending to them we must miss church "just this once."

The following incident may be helpful, proving as it does that obedience and right motives carry their own protection. A Christian Scientist, who had arrived at a testimony meeting in daylight, on leaving the church to go home realized that she had come without an electric torch. For a moment she experienced a great feeling of fear, for she found the blackout conditions very trying, and it was a pitch-dark, cloudy night.

Then as she began to make her way slowly along the street she declared that divine Love could and would meet her every need; that she had nothing to fear when her footsteps were directed by the all-seeing Mind. At that moment a powerful searchlight pierced the very clouds which had helped to make the night more dark, and brought light into the darkened streets. The student walked on rejoicing in this proof of Love's unfailing provision, and during the whole time which it took her to reach her home the beam of light remained to guide her.

Again, family relationships may try to intervene. But we know that our Master never allowed family ties to prevent him from being about his Father's business or to interfere with his healing mission. Yet never was there a more loving son. It is not the acknowledgment of our family obligations which would hinder our spiritual progress, but the extent to which we allow them to make us forget or neglect the duty we owe to God. In putting God first we cannot lose, and we shall find that our family duties and relationships are falling into their rightful place, into a more harmonious whole.

So let us resolve to be more watchful that we do not incur the sharp reproof administered to the church of the Laodiceans, of which we read in the book of Revelation (3:15, 16): "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth."

Ours is no story of halfhearted endeavor, but the song of unity of the church triumphant, expressed with such vigor in a greatly loved hymn: