BECAUSE Christian Science has proved to its followers to be such a practical, provable, healing religion, it naturally follows that they would like their loved ones, friends, and neighbors, yes, all mankind, to share in its beneficence. It is a commendable thing to want to see more and more people attracted to the Christ, Truth, and to see this attraction manifested in ever-increasing church attendance and membership. As with every phase of human activity, our beloved Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, gives us wise counsel on this important subject. In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" she says (p. 102): "There is but one real attraction, that of Spirit. The pointing of the needle to the pole symbolizes this all-embracing power or the attraction of God, divine Mind." It is, then, the Christ-spirit manifested by us that will bring the stranger into our midst and convince him of the truth of Christian Science.
Note that Mrs. Eddy refers to the attraction of Spirit as "all-embracing." God, divine Mind, embraces all His children in His love, for God is the parent Mind, and the spiritual man is His offspring. In the place where mortal man appears to be, then, God's spiritual man really is, forever embraced in God's love and attracted to Him. This is true of the people in our community —those we should like to see become interested in Christian Science. As we embrace our community in this type of spiritual thinking, we help our neighbors to arouse themselves from the belief in matter's reality and the necessity for sin, sickness, and death. When we refuse to accept mortal mind's claims of indifference or opposition, we are doing our part in bringing further spiritual light into our environment. We are acknowledging the attraction of Spirit.
Now someone may say, "How can the spiritualization of my thinking result in attracting the stranger to Christian Science?" It is, as we know, the spiritualization of our own thought that helps us to heal. As we become more Christlike in our thinking, we become better healers. And it is healing that will catch our neighbor's eye, arouse his interest, and attract him to our church. In "Twelve Years with Mary Baker Eddy," Irving C. Tomlinson quotes Mrs. Eddy as saying (p. 46): "Unless we have better healers, and more of this work than any other, is done, our Cause will not 'stand and having done all stand.' Demonstration is the whole of Christian Science, nothing else proves it, nothing else will save it and continue it with us. God has said this—and Christ Jesus has proved it."
In referring to Mrs. Eddy, Mr. Tomlinson later adds, "Indeed, so revolutionary were her teachings that, had she not been able to offer proof of their truth, they would have seemed completely unconvincing." This statement still applies today. To many, the teachings of Christian Science are still revolutionary, but as people see the healing effect of this religion, their attitude changes.
It is better healing, then, that is today's prime requisite. And certainly we have had abundant proof that Christian Science does heal. One has but to read the testimonies in any issue of The Christian Science Journal or Christian Science Sentinel to be thoroughly convinced of this. Our radio and television programs prove it. Every ill that flesh is heir to can be met and mastered by the consecrated application of Christian Science.
Every earnest Christian Scientist strives daily and hourly to be ready to do the works which Christ Jesus told us to do. Our Wednesday testimony meetings offer each of us a golden opportunity to share with those in our community the proofs we have enjoyed through correct application of this religion. Perhaps we would testify more often if we thought that our words would result in bringing a newcomer into Christian Science. Paul wrote to the Romans (10: 14, 15): "How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"
It is important to realize that we do not have to outline humanly how to go about attracting the stranger in our efforts to "bring glad tidings of good things." We must not lose sight of the primary mission of Christian Science—to heal the worldwide beliefs of sin, sickness, and death. In "Christian Healing" Mrs. Eddy declares (p. 3), "In proportion as the personal and material element stole into religion, it lost Christianity and the power to heal; and the qualities of God as a person, instead of the divine Principle that begets the quality, engrossed the attention of the ages." Let us be sure that the demonstration of divine Principle alone engrosses our attention today. Then we shall draw all men unto us.
Another way in which we can support our branch churches is to make certain that our own record is clear—that we ourselves are regular in church attendance. We should be alert to see that vain amusement, idleness, apathy, or counterattraction is not of God, but of mortal mind. If unrecognized and unhandled, this phase of materialism would lead the very ones who have found the Christ, Truth, to contribute directly toward an erroneous situation which they actually wish to overcome. A Christian Science church service presents the Word of God. It is this Word which brings healing to mankind. Our church services unfold the kingdom of heaven in individual consciousness, and it is this kingdom that Jesus advised us to seek first.
As we maintain that God is All and is everywhere, His ideas will be seen everywhere, evidenced to us in our church experience as individuals earnestly seeking the truth. This is not wishful thinking; it is wise thinking. This seeing of perfect God and perfect man is a part of the healing work we are privileged to do. It is this type of spiritual seeing that helps us to be more alert, intelligent, and joyful, for we see that man in God's likeness has dominion over all the illusions of material sense.
The key to real attraction may be found in Jesus' words in Matthew (5:16), "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Note that it is our works and not human personality, with its planning, that mankind is to see. And these good works are the inevitable results of our conscious effort to spiritualize our thinking. As our friends, relatives, and neighbors witness these good works, they too will glorify God—they will themselves be attracted by the one Spirit.
