It is natural that we should want only the best for those we love. As we enlarge our concept of Love, all mankind become progressively dearer to us, and we want the best for everyone. The most wonderful thing in the world is a demonstrable understanding of the holy truths of the Comforter, Christian Science. Should it not be natural, then, for its adherents to want to bring it to the attention of others?
In Paul's first letter to his faithful student Timothy, he advised him to admonish the well-to-do not only to be humble and trust God but also to be "rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate" (I Tim. 6:18). Though apparently referring to those who are rich in worldly things, his admonition surely applies to those who are spiritually rich as well. What a fine standard of daily conduct it is for the student of Christian Science to be "ready to distribute, willing to communicate"!
As our love for Science increases, we shall be more ready and willing to distribute and communicate its great truths. Indeed, may we not also say that our love for God and our fellowmen can be measured by our readiness and willingness to present Christian Science to others? As our love for mankind expands, we shall never be without opportunities to present these great truths.
We find in the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew that Christ Jesus laid great stress on preparedness, on our making the most of opportunities and bringing into play the practical application of our love for God and man. In his final parable in this chapter, the Master represents the king as blessing those who have expressed the Christlike sense of love and as saying to them, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." What more assurance do we need of a full reward for every righteous effort to bring the healing truth to our brothers!
In the textbook of Christian Science, Mrs. Eddy writes (p. 570): "Millions of unprejudiced minds—simple seekers for Truth, weary wanderers, athirst in the desert—are waiting and watching for rest and drink. Give them a cup of cold water in Christ's name, and never fear the consequences."
Always to be ready to express Love under any circumstances requires that we maintain full to overflowing our mental reservoirs of the most unselfed and purely loving ideas that we can at present conceive. There are many concrete ways in which we can express this love by bringing the greatest gift of all to others. One manifest means is through the work of distributing the authorized literature of Christian Science, in which The Mother Church and all of its branches participate.
The thoughtful student of Christian Science is well aware that any human activity, if it is to be effective, must be preceded by thorough metaphysical work. Simply going through the motions is never sufficient, even with the best intentions for the best Cause. Along what lines, then, might one direct his thinking preparatory to the actual distributing of Christian Science literature?
A helpful truth is that every spiritual idea is complete. For example, it is obvious that divine Love inspired the contents of any given copy of The Christian Science Journal or the Christian Science Sentinel; Love led to their selection and grouping by the Editors, and Love impels their distribution and reading. The bright impress of the spiritual messages contained in these precious periodicals carries a unique blessing for everyone, whatever his relationship to them.
In proportion as we see that Love and intelligence, which inspired the contributor and governed the Editors, support the distributor and direct him to place each copy where it will be of maximum effectiveness, the cycle of right activity will be successfully completed. We must realize that Love is eternally imparting the truth to its idea.
The importance of doing metaphysical work for the distribution activity is illustrated in the following experience of the writer. A few years ago he served as a Field worker at a veterans' hospital. On one particular visit, after leaving literature at the usual places, he was led to take some remaining pieces into a large recreation room. An obvious place to leave them was at the other end of it. He had not walked far into the room when a patient, recognizing a Sentinel in his hand, asked for one. This request opened the way for the writer to be of substantial help not only to this man, of whose presence he had been unaware, but also to two others whom this person told him about.
The God-ordained messages contained in each copy of our periodicals know no limitations of a paid subscription list or of numbers of literature distribution boxes or the locations of these. There is nothing routine about any spiritual activity. The freshness and timeliness of God's thoughts endure, nor does chance enter into God's accomplishment of His purpose. As these truths are seen and acknowledged, more effectiveness and fruition will be manifest in the distribution activity.
Mortal thinking would have us hesitate to identify ourselves publicly as Christian Scientists by distributing literature. Such thinking may be reinforced by the belief that we are not good representatives of Science or that we are greatly outnumbered by contrary opinions. Of course, if correct metaphysical work is done beforehand, such thoughts will not assail us on our distribution routes.
Obviously, the time will never come when we cannot be better representatives of Truth, so let each one respect and cherish the vital ground that he has gained. Let us remember that we can be known only as God knows us. Since God and His loving ideas are all, where, except in illusive mortal consciousness, can opposition exist to the reception of His truth?
One cannot imagine our Saviour as ever being apologetic about the demands of his sacred mission. When one refuses to dull the luster of the Christ messages he carries by self-consciousness and uninspired dutifulness, these dreary errors will not smudge the light which would otherwise attract someone to the literature. If we are really grateful for such an opportunity to serve our beloved Cause, the unfettered freedom and honor of Christlike service will be ours.
There are numerous other valued avenues of distributing good through church activity. The important thing is that we should be always ready, metaphysically as well as humanly, to give to the receptive thought.
Sometimes one may be lulled into complacency or even into downright inactivity in his individual duty to propagate the truth. The subtle suggestions that lectures, church services, formal literature distribution activities, and radio programs are doing the job would deceive us.
There is no substitute for the effectiveness of each individual's effort. Perhaps some of our friends or our business associates may interestedly inquire about the remedy we employed for the quick healing they observed. Let us never hesitate to identify our medicine or our physician as Christian Science. Our own demonstrations of Science that others witness offer us excellent opportunities to impress and interest them. Conversely, perhaps an equally fine occasion to offer the Christ, Truth, may arise from our taking notice of one who has been struggling with some problem and is looking for a better way to gain his freedom.
In a letter to all the members of The Mother Church in late 1962, The Christian Science Board of Directors brought out the vital role each student may play in presenting the Christ, Truth, to mankind. Many will recall that every member was requested to make special effort to place copies of the textbook in the hands of receptive persons during 1963. While this particular year has now passed, the individual Scientist can continue to enjoy this sacred obligation of presenting the textbook whenever the opportunity arises. Our Leader has, as in all other respects, again set the standard for us in fulfilling this duty.
Irving C. Tomlinson characterizes her thus (Twelve Years with Mary Baker Eddy, p. 110): "Essentially a giver, not a getter, no one was a more liberal distributor of her book, Science and Health, and of her other writings, than was their author. Indeed, she was the first Distribution Committee of Christian Science."
One student has for a number of years now been distributing the textbook to those who are receptive. He has found it to be true that such an opportunity comes as one is prepared in every way to present it. At first he had no occasion to give out a copy. Then as the result of prayerful stocktaking, he realized that he was not fully ready for such an occasion. Without realizing it, he was not expecting one to occur, since he had no extra copies of the textbook on hand. But he has always kept at least two or three new copies in his automobile or in his office since then. Subsequently there has been a steady stream of openings proportionate to the metaphysical work he has done to contribute to our beloved Cause directly and locally in this most satisfying way.
Many other students have similarly contributed substantially to the continuance and furtherance of Christian Science in years past. Let us not be lulled into complacency now because of what we may have done previously. A good index to our alertness and our progress, to say nothing of our love for Christian Science, is the date of our most recent direct distribution of an authorized publication of The Mother Church. Let each of us at frequent intervals check on this date, and may it always be right on the heels of the present moment!
In Revelation is found the epitome of the spirit that must be ours to make the blessed teachings of Christian Science available to all (21:6), "I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely." And Mrs. Eddy writes in her concluding stanza of the poem "Christ My Refuge" (Poems, p. 13),
My prayer, some daily good to do
To Thine, for Thee;
An offering pure of Love, whereto
God leadeth me.
Let us pray that we may ever be, as Paul admonished, "ready to distribute" our precious textbook, as well as our periodicals, and willing to identify ourselves as Christian Scientists and to communicate a needed word of loving encouragement to take up its study.
