The Psalmist tells us (Ps. 40:3) that "the Lord ... hath put a new song in [his] mouth, even praise unto our God." Who will not agree that a new song, a new outlook, a new hope, is mankind's greatest need in these topsy-turvy times? With what joy, then, may we hail such a message as this in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy (p. 201): "Truth makes a new creature, in whom old things pass away and 'all things are become new.'" Then she adds pertinently, "Passions, selfishness, false appetites, hatred, fear, all sensuality, yield to spirituality, and the superabundance of being is on the side of God, good."
Christian Science thus puts a new song on the lips and a fresh expectation in the heart of the ultimate, certain triumph of good. And should not the song of every student of this Science be a continuous paean of thanksgiving in discovering, at long last, that an understanding of divine Truth holds the remedy for all the woes of humanity? Picture a world wherein "passions, selfishness, false appetites, hatred, fear, all sensuality" had been banished by spiritual sense. Would not the kingdom of heaven, universal harmony, indeed be at hand? In this picture of millennial felicity would be found no place for war or the causes of war; and sickness, sin, and all discord would be forever outlawed.
But when, oh when, may echo some despairing voice, can we hope to see this heavenly vision made practical? Both the Scriptures and Christian Science make answer that "now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (II Cor. 6:2). At this very hour, in the twinkling of an eye, may you and I begin to witness the lifting of the mist of ignorance about God and His harmonious creation and glimpse the new heaven and earth of Biblical promise. Does someone answer: Yes, an individual here and there may gain this happy view, but what about the millions of mortals still in darkness, still believing in selfishness, hate, and war? How can I be in heaven when they are not?
Here Christian Science answers a riddle of the ages. It shows that salvation is individual; that the so-called end of the world comes individually, rather than in a great mass movement; and when the individual is saved—in other words, delivered from belief in the reality of evil and materialism—his uplifted consciousness must needs bless his brother man too. One does not need to go far afield, therefore, to find where the work of salvation begins. If there is any question about this, the mystery may be quickly dispelled by our walking to the nearest mirror and having a good look. And the happy thing to consider is this: when we have manfully faced, repudiated, and to the best of our understanding nothingized the errors of selfishness, hatred, sensuality, and their brood and have declared the presence and activity of the one Mind and its ideas, not only have we ensured our glimpse of heaven, but a step towards the salvation of the whole human family has been taken.
In an important statement in her book "Unity of Good" Mrs. Eddy brings out individual responsibility in metaphysical work and shows where this work lies. She writes (p. 8): "Everything is as real as you make it, and no more so. What you see, hear, feel, is a mode of consciousness, and can have no other reality than the sense you entertain of it." With this new song, this new understanding of man's dominion, the student of the Science of Christianity sets forth in the glorious work of revealing, not, in fact, a new heaven and earth, but creation as God knows it and sees it—creation everlastingly sinless, painless, deathless, and harmonious. Glimpsing heaven, the reality of being, himself, he must see his brother's true selfhood equally blessed and enfolded in the same harmony.
Three Christian Scientists were passengers on a vessel which one night on a stormy sea was swept by fire. Pandemonium seemed to reign. Much-vaunted fire drills proved of no avail. Sailors and passengers were rushing about in the greatest confusion, apparently unable to locate the source of the conflagration or to check its progress. The Scientists went off by themselves, realizing the urgency of dealing with the problem in Christian Science.
First they refused to give reality and power to fear, declaring divine Love to be the only presence. Next they refused to accord reality to confusion and to the arguments of minds many, because of the oneness and all-presence and omniaction of the Mind which is God. Each Scientist saw that he was being tempted to believe a lie about God's harmonious government of His universe, and he refused to accept it. Very soon more orderly thinking was manifested by passengers and crew, and shortly intelligence led to the doing of intelligent things, and the fire was discovered and dealt with. The ship's officer later admitted that the situation had been very dangerous and was a close call; that had not the fire been discovered and checked just when it was, the passengers would shortly have been ordered into lifeboats. Thus those Christian Scientists, in getting themselves into the kingdom, saved that ship and all of the passengers.
What a precious privilege is at the door of everyone who has learned the new song of Immanuel, or "God with us"! If, as our Leader has said, "Everything is as real as you make it, and no more so," what are we doing about the problems, personal, domestic, and international, lifting their heads so menacingly today? What reality are we giving to the blatant suggestion that this nation hates that nation, and that iron curtains can shut out Truth and engender hatreds and misunderstandings? What reality do we accord to the devilish whisperings that another war is inevitable? Do we accept as true, or do we not, the lines of the old Gospel hymn:
"This is my Father's world,
O let me ne'er forget
That though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the Ruler yet."
How real to you and me are the pictures which the carnal mind draws today of selfishness, domination, and injustice running rife in the affairs of men and nations, of labor and management? Are we unwittingly giving power to the claim that the Christian, democratic way of life has failed, and selfishness has dethroned brotherly love? Are we singing with confidence the new song of Love's omnipotence and Love's power to save? A world of mortals plagued with nightmares awaits our answer.
