When I was a young girl, a beloved Christian Science practitioner used to say to me, "Make your prayers universal, and everyone who has his cup out will receive a blessing." The conviction that this is true, that every loving thought flows out with tangible benefit to receptive hearts everywhere, has stayed with me.
Mrs. Eddy assures us in Science and Health, "Universal Love is the divine way in Christian Science" (p. 266). The impelling motive of Mrs. Eddy's life was that she might give to the whole world the Word of Truth, which God had revealed to her as His anointed messenger to this age.
Mrs. Eddy never ceased laboring for the fulfillment of the Bible promise (Luke 3: 6), "All flesh shall see the salvation of God." The powerful evidence of her boundless love is the Church of Christ, Scientist, whose activities are encompassing the earth with enlightenment, regeneration, and healing. This Church accomplishes its mission of universal salvation through the unselfed zeal of its members. The world is crying out for freedom from discord, hate, and fear, and only the magnitude of Christly loving can bring it peace.
Unselfed affection is natural and inevitable in Christian Scientists. They live under the Christly law which decrees, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20: 35). We see this law in operation as we express patience, charitableness, and forbearance toward each other. Power is inherent in that which stems from omnipotent Principle, Love.
We must have confidence in the power of Love beyond all other seeming power. The audacity of evil in its presentations would shock decent men into inactivity and futility, but those who are alert and loving will stand their ground fearlessly and prove in every encounter the triumph of good over evil, Truth over error, and Love over hate. "Charity never faileth," the Apostle Paul assured us (I Cor. 13:8), and faithful Christian Scientists are proving this every day.
In almost all problems of inharmonious relationships, whether they appear to be domestic, social, or international, the mortal traits of envy and jealousy need to be detected and destroyed. Underlying jealousy is a sense of incompleteness, and behind incompleteness lies fear—fear that there is not enough good for everyone. The basis of fear is the belief of limited personal selfhood, an ego separate from God.
Through the teachings of Christian Science, we are powerfully equipped to handle evil's claims and to demonstrate man's oneness with God as His idea. Love is always the liberator. The truth of the fatherhood of God ensures the brotherhood of man. Every son of God is secure in the Father's love. Each has by reflection all the good there is. The only substance is spiritual and is indivisible. It is not parceled out unequally among mortals; it is infinitely expressed, individually and universally, in God's creation.
We read in Science and Health (p. 301), "As God is substance and man is the divine image and likeness, man should wish for, and in reality has, only the substance of good, the substance of Spirit, not matter." Having this spiritual substance, every child of God is complete, whole, and satisfied. When we understand this truth, we have no need to struggle and fight for security or progress.
Man exists at the standpoint of spiritual perfection and is eternally unfolding therefrom. Through the revelation of the Christ, Truth, we know that man is the heir of God, possessing all the bounty of Love.
There is no inferiority or superiority in Love's kingdom. There is no possibility of covetousness, malice, or greed. Each idea, safe in the love of his Father-Mother God, is free and joyous in loving his brother. One whose consciousness is awakened through Christian Science to understand Love's bountiful and impartial provision for every need rejoices in his brother's blessings as readily as in the manifestations of good which come to him. To obey the command of our Master to love our neighbor as ourselves means that we are as eager to affirm another's spiritual perfection and completeness as we are to claim these qualities for ourselves.
We can, and we must, demonstrate much more widely the power of Love to free men from aggression and oppression. Christian Science teaches that it requires only a higher understanding of the divine Principle if we are to demonstrate it more fully. The need for solving mankind's larger and deeper problems will be met as we love with more largeness and depth.
Narrowness of vision and preoccupation with selfish interests leave the world a prey to the predatory ambitions of those who would enslave their brothers. Mankind need our active caring and working for universal progress and freedom.
We do not achieve salvation by selfishly withdrawing from the world's needs or by belligerently fighting evil with evil's own methods. "Universal Love is" indeed "the divine way in Christian Science." We are taking this way when we refuse to be frightened or repelled, or even impressed, with the testimony of mortal sense, but instead are awake every moment to reverse false belief with truth.
A practical way to express healing love to the world is to read The Christian Science Monitor thoroughly every day in order that we may give prayerful thought to the news that is presented there. We can apply the scientific facts of being to every need pointed out and gratefully rejoice in all the progress and in all the dominion over evil that are recorded.
Radiating Christlike love in every situation, personal, national, or international, has a definite ameliorating effect. The influence of this love can never be small. Love is God, and all that comes from God has infinite power to support its fruitfulness.
Everyone who makes his prayers universal knows in his heart that his efforts are aiding just causes everywhere. We have this assurance of our beloved Leader (Science and Health, pp. 223, 224): "Longevity is increasing and the power of sin diminishing, for the world feels the alterative effect of truth through every pore."
