Men's faith in a power higher than material sense, a good power guiding and directing human affairs, has brought them comfort and courage, and they have often likened this power to a good shepherd. But, although yearning for this guiding influence, many have not known where to look for it or how to lay hold upon it.
Now, through the study of Christian Science, all may learn that God, who is infinite Mind, Love, imparts His own unlimited, perfect qualities to each of His ideas, and that the shepherding presence of these qualities, even though unperceived and unused, is ever at hand in human consciousness to be recognized and accepted. The moment one opens the door of his thought to these spiritual elements he sees them unfold. As the student recognizes God-bestowed qualities as truly his own, and utilizes them, he becomes conscious of the shepherding presence of good within his own thinking.
With this consciousness of spiritual influence comes the moral obligation to heed and prove its guiding power. Jesus understood and voiced this duty when he said (John 10:11), "I am the good shepherd." Here he not only referred to his spiritual selfhood, the Christ, which was the actual shepherd pointing the way in all his healing ministry but also drew attention to his responsibility, as the human Jesus, to express the shepherding qualities of the Christ and to be an example to others of the truth which he taught.
The obligation to respond to Truth's call to receptivity and obedience rests upon all. One cannot follow by just listening. Followers of divine Love must be exemplifiers of this Love, making its guiding messages the motivation of thought and action. The presence of the Christ-element in human consciousness can be attested only by the good manifested—by the harmony, love, health, and progress which the demonstration of the Christ, Truth, brings into daily living.
This shepherding will eventually blot out all mental and physical slavery. No law of God gives anyone the authority or power to override the rights of others or to limit individual progress. Everyone must learn to discern the truth which is shepherding his own consciousness. Individual acceptance of responsibility, individual effort to prove the power and presence of God, good, individual proof of loving one's neighbor as oneself—these mark the only way to universal betterment. Christianity lifts all men to progressively higher levels, but it does this individually, working through individual Christlike thinking.
Just as the human shepherd is ever watchful for the proper care of his sheep, protecting them from danger and pointing out the right and safe way, so the Christ-idea, active in human thought, frees from the pitfalls of false belief, pointing out and illumining the way to well-being.
In the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mary Baker Eddy writes (p. 332), "Christ is the true idea voicing good, the divine message from God to men speaking to the human consciousness." The spiritual idea needs no shepherding. It already knows and expresses all good. But humanity does need shepherding, and because divine Love meets the human need, it is to humanity that the message of the Christ comes with its guiding wisdom and love.
No individual, no nation, race, or class, is excluded from the shepherding of the Christ. Each individual has his direct connection with God, and nothing can take it from him. Each is individually loved and cared for by the Father. While each must take his place among the many in the work of the world, and while in some instances this place may seem small and routine until one has lifted his work to greater dignity and usefulness, this does not cause anyone to lose his actual importance as God's expression. In reality, everyone, distinct and complete in his own spiritual nature, is precious to the Father. Jesus foretold the spiritual oneness of thought which must eventually come to mankind when he said (John 10:16), "There shall be one fold, and one shepherd."
One fold and one Shepherd! One world! One loving, co-operative effort by all men! One unified understanding of the Christ and its place and power in human affairs! This would indeed bring in the millennium of happiness and good government for which mankind yearns. Christian Science points the way to this millennium, but it does not offer something for nothing. We cannot follow the good Shepherd without striving. The Shepherd leads, but we must follow. The Shepherd cannot do our climbing for us. But work is not hardship. It is our heritage of activity and joy. In Christian Science we speak of prayer as work. Just as through studious practice we become more efficient in business, music, or art, so through continued thoughtful use of spiritual ideas we become more efficient in spiritual progress. As our thinking is spiritualized, we gain more decisiveness and promptness in separating the false from the true. We learn to be more accurate and instant in the discernment of error and in the recognition of Truth; to perceive more quickly that in all its modes, methods, and claims evil is unreal and therefore has no power to influence or control human lives. If error seems stubborn, the ever-present Christ-idea, guiding and directing human consciousness, provides the spiritual steadfastness and valiancy with which to conquer whatever the false belief may be.
Christian Science does not demand of us more than we can do, but it does demand of us all that we can do. In "Retrospection and Introspection" Mrs. Eddy writes (p. 80), "The kindly shepherd of the East carries his lambs in his arms to the sheepcot, but the older sheep pass into the fold under his compelling rod." Progress requires that we accept our responsibilities and, under Love's guidance, walk into the fold through our own utilization and demonstration of the power of Truth.
We may not always be aware of how we ran into the snags and briers of dissension, discontent, or sickness, or of how we got our eyes filled with the dust of materialism. Perhaps we failed to remember our Leader's admonition (Message to The Mother Church for 1902, p. 17), "It is wise to be willing to wait on God, and to be wiser than serpents; to hate no man, to love one's enemies, and to square accounts with each passing hour." But whatever the seeming cause of the straying or confusion may have been, we can always turn with humility and trust to divine Love for its shepherding thoughts of goodness and grace.
All who would follow spiritual guidance must listen for the voice of Truth. Our Leader listened. Otherwise she could not have heard the message of the Christ, and then we would not have had our priceless textbook and our great movement. As we listen gladly to Truth and follow willingly, we become increasingly conscious of good flowing naturally and abundantly into human experience. Thus, with David, we joyously sing (Ps. 23:6), "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."
