Some two-thirds of mankind appear to live under the full weight of the curse laid on Adam—brute toil until death. Among the remainder are communities living in a state of plenty never before approached. The enlightenment of thought that brings them this gift also makes them sensitive to the darkened condition of their fellowmen. On the other hand, the contrast breeds turbulent thought and action, spearheaded by a worldwide movement of protest, avowedly materialistic and aggressive in spirit. In these different ways the lesson of human brotherhood begins to be forced upon us all.
Underlying this worldwide picture of light and shade is a conflict of a more profound kind, that between the axiom of limitation which governs human thought on all economic questions and the infinite riches for all mankind proclaimed in the words of Christ Jesus and, in our day, in the teachings of Christian Science. Jesus spoke to his followers of the infinite benevolence of the loving Father of all and encouraged them to draw upon heavenly riches. "Fear not, little flock," he said, "for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."Luke 12:32; a He condemned the idolatry of riches, whether practiced by those who possessed wealth or those who lacked it. But he certainly did not inculcate the worship of poverty.
In the Sermon on the Mount he spelled out in detail the practical applicability of the truth he taught to the daily lives and needs of men. In the feeding of the multitudes, he himself put the truth into practice in the most spectacular way. But so dense was—and is—the mental darkness that his practical gospel of ever-present good was cut off from practical affairs and relegated to another world beyond the grave.
