Spirituality usually has a religious expression, but religious teachings and activities don't always have a strong spiritual element.
Spirituality doesn't war, since it naturally outshines any would-be opponent. It's characterized by peace and healing. Seeing man as purely spiritual—because he is the expression of Spirit, the only cause—can help bring peace to those with a solely religious commitment, and who may have strong, warlike human convictions. "By trusting matter to destroy its own discord, health and harmony have been sacrificed," Mary Baker Eddy explains in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. "Such systems are barren of the vitality of spiritual power, by which material sense is made the servant of Science and religion becomes Christlike Science and Health, p. 146;
To lessen and eliminate wars, spirituality is a prime demand. If there's a war to be waged, it is against materiality, against the multifaceted belief that the universe is physical and man mortal, discordant, and aggressive. This is a holy war in the truest sense of the word. It takes place in human consciousness and is a requisite until the last remnant of belief in a consciousness apart from the divine gives place to the reality of one infinite Mind, universal good.
This holy war, which is the preliminary to ending political conflict, is not simply a personal war. Ending war is not merely a case of fallible mortals trying to be better, manipulating groups, borders, policies, in the hope of establishing international justice and tranquillity. Such efforts, though, are not to be decried. Cynicism points to the action of animal magnetism, the opposite of the beneficial forces of divine Love. Nevertheless, endeavors to permanently improve the lot of mankind on only human bases can never thoroughly succeed.
In the divine order, as it appears to human sense touched by the Christ, Truth, the means of successfully fighting holy wars has been established. It's indicated in the Bible, as Mrs. Eddy notes: "The Old Testament assigns to the angels, God's divine messages, different offices. Michael's characteristic is spiritual strength. He leads the hosts of heaven against the power of sin, Satan, and fights the holy wars. Gabriel has the more quiet task of imparting a sense of the ever-presence of ministering Love. These angels deliver us from the depths." Further on, "The Gabriel of His presence has no contests. To infinite, ever-present Love, all is Love, and there is no error, no sin, sickness, nor death." ibid., pp. 566-567;
By activating both these angelic, peacemaking concepts—Michael and Gabriel— in our own thought, our whole outlook is spiritualized. We win the ground on which to eliminate strife in our own lives. This irrepressibly contributes to calming the warring instincts that have so sadly afflicted mankind, and still do.
Some individuals have become atheists because they have been put off religion by the historical wars fought in its name. Admittedly, those with an unclear sense of Deity, or with none, have seen discordant mortal thought externalized in skirmishes and battles over religious issues. But the fact remains that destruction and misery can never be the outcome of genuine spiritual understanding as opposed to human religiosity unaccompanied by Christliness. The result of comprehending God's love and presence is reconciliation, order, and brotherliness.
Referring to the basis and aims of Christ Jesus' instruction, Mrs. Eddy says: "It was the divine Principle of all real being which he taught and practised. His proof of Christianity was no form or system of religion and worship, but Christian Science, working out the harmony of Life and Love." ibid., p. 26;
Forms or systems of religion can be incompatible, mutually abrasive—especially when they are very different and are practiced in proximity to one another. This has been evident through centuries and is so today. Our role is not to sit in judgment on the degree of spirituality of others—whether individuals or societies—but to check on ourselves. Where do we stand? Do we have only religious proclivities and lack divine? Are these proclivities directed and supported by our spirituality, our own pursuit of divine ideas before the pursuit of human prestige and influence, of material objects and success?
No one can answer these queries for us, nor can we make such assessments of others. We can tell whether or not we are pursuing spiritual values by our compassion—are we sensitive to the way other people and races think and live? Does egotism lead us to feel satisfied with our own value structure? Are we satisfied just with churchgoing and with working, perhaps, in some welfare organization? Worthy as these activities may be, they may be just a window display suggesting spirituality, while in the store behind the window, stocks of inspiration, spiritual insight, and conviction may be very low.
On the footing of Science the individual can fruitfully fulfill his obligations to humanity and himself, obligations neatly summarized by James: "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." James 1:27. Spirituality is of God, who is Spirit. It is substantial and practical because it flows from Spirit and is authorized by Spirit. Religiousness—while, ideally, spiritually sustained—relates to the realm of human attitudes and behavior, to human culture and society. It can err. And has done so. Scientific religion, as uniquely disclosed in Christian Science, is more than religion—it is the impersonal Science of being. It conveys a complete view of reality, a full way of life and peace. It will change our lives for the better and can start helping us right now. This is the nature of the spirituality that Christian Science shows us how to cultivate.
