When the rich man addressed him as "Good Master," Jesus immediately said, "Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God" (Matt. 19:16, 17), thus directing thought away from the concept of good as personal and restricted to the oneness of good, its ever-presence, ever-availability, indivisibility, and inexhaustibility. This concept of good is substantiated in the Scriptural statement regarding creation (Gen. 1:31), "God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good."
The understanding of these spiritual truths blesses every phase of daily living— human relationships, business, government, and church affairs—frees us from selfishness, and enables us to prove in our daily lives our unity with God, who is good. Supreme love for good will impel us to spiritualize thought that we may become aware of the allness of good, finding complete satisfaction and joy therein.
Our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, says of evil (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 103): "The destruction of the claims of mortal mind through Science, by which man can escape from sin and mortality, blesses the whole human family. As in the beginning, however, this liberation does not scientifically show itself in a knowledge of both good and evil, for the latter is unreal." She further makes plain in her Message to The Mother Church for 1901 (pp. 12, 13) that "evil is neither quality nor quantity: it is not intelligence, a person or a principle, a man or a woman, a place or a thing, and God never made it." To cast evil out of its falsely assumed place, one needs only to see it as nothing claiming to be something.
The human mind, ever busy in making graven images, builds up fictitious personalities from a combination of good and evil qualities. But Christian Science enables us to see evil, whether claiming identity as person, place, or circumstance, for what it is—nothing and to keep it nothing. This scientific knowing frees us from the sense of either good or evil as personal, and thus destroys idolatry or condemnation, pride or shame. It enables us to cast out as unreal the belief in a sinner, whether it claims identity as a loved one, a church member, a neighbor, a business associate, or ourselves.
Jesus gave us the criterion for human relationship when he said (Matt. 12:50), "Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." Prayerfully considering this statement in connection with the Master's emphatic rebuke to error (John 8:44), "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do," we see that we are to refuse to mother, father, or cherish evil by believing it is the nature of those whom we love dearly, and that we must claim our real relationship to be with good alone.
This assurance of the allness of good was effectual in the following experience of the writer. During the recent war her only son was sent to a country which an article in a popular magazine had described as the worst place to which a man could be sent. The heat was intense, and the dirt and poverty were overpowering. Letters of complaint, showing that the young man was suffering from the hardships of his environment, heightened his mother's agony over the separation.
Considerable work in Christian Science was done, but finally a letter came lamenting the situation in most distressing terms. The mother's first feeling of helplessness was replaced with a conviction that more metaphysical work must be done at once. The definitions of "mother" and "son" in the Glossary of Science and Health (pp. 592, 594) were studied, as well as the words (ibid., p. 85), "Truth communicates itself but never imparts error." The complete quotation reads as follows: "The great Teacher knew both cause and effect, knew that truth communicates itself but never imparts error."
With a firm conviction that there was no good in such a woeful picture as the one presented, and that therefore the whole thing was unreal, for in reality good was inevitably expressing itself, she tore up the letter and threw it into the wastebasket, at the same time vehemently demanding that man's true nature be evidenced. This attitude certainly evinced a higher understanding of mother and a truer concept of son than any she had yet known.
A letter was written to the young man requesting that he find the good work that he was to do there and do it. He was told that his business was to reflect good wherever he was. Work was continued along this line, and in a short while a fine report of progress was received. This letter described the beauty of the nights where the writer was stationed and mentioned many other features of interest; but, more important, it reported that he had found other Christian Scientists and that services were being held. Very shortly he was moved to a much more pleasant location, one with greater opportunities for participation in Christian Science activities. It had not been easy to turn from the false sense of motherhood and the picture of a son in distress. Sympathy with error had made loud demands, but they had had to be silenced in order to find all in good, after which both mother and son experienced peace and joy.
It does not require an advanced understanding of Christian Science to achieve wonderful results from holding to the truth about God's good creation. Since harmony is an established fact, and the only true relationship is that of man to God, governed by God's law of harmony, every application of this truth brings results. Diligent and persevering study of the writings of our Leader, obedience to her Church Manual, faithfulness in reading the Christian Science periodicals and applying in our daily lives the truths we learn will enable us to bring into our experience clearer views of God's ever-present and harmonious creation and thereby bless our fellow man.
A Christian Scientist who had just been promoted to the position of buyer in a large department store had the opportunity to help others as well as herself by her acknowledgment of the ever-presence and allness of good. On a certain day an annual selling event had been scheduled, one that required months of planning and a large advertising program. The day preceding the event rain began and continued to fall in torrents.
The student, fairly new in the study of Christian Science, saw that faithful work could not go unrewarded. For several hours before retiring she studied and prayed earnestly. At five the next morning she arose and continued the work. When it was time to go to the store, although the rain was still falling, her heart was singing, and she knew that all was well.
Early in the day the president of the firm came through her department, evidencing much concern about the business. He was not too much assured by her firm conviction that all would be well, and that there would be no disappointment. However, as the day progressed and customers by the hundreds continued to flock into the store in spite of the rain, he made frequent trips through the department to see the brisk activity there. Because of the unfavorable outlook of the weather, plans had been rushed through to continue the sale the following day. That day was sunny and beautiful, and the result was two record days of business. Again evil suggestions had been silenced by the realization of the allness of God, good, and His manifestation.
Good is always where man is. The good which humanly seems to be abundant in some place other than where we are, is found to be at hand when we realize good to be omnipresence and man to be ceaselessly receptive to good as the reflection of God. The infinitude of good is true now. It is not going to be true at some future time. Sooner or later our own love for the good which is God must become adequate to dissolve every evil suggestion which may come to us denying the omnipresence of God, good. It is joyful activity—this utilization of our understanding of the true idea of the allness of God, good, and man's oneness therewith in every situation. It merits the reward of God to Abraham (Gen. 13:15), "All the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever."
