Your manuscript has been carefully reviewed, and for several reasons we feel it is not going to work out for editing .... Sound familiar? They are words that many of you have read after submitting a metaphysical article. The Christian Science Journal, the Sentinel, and the Herald are unique publications in many ways. One of these ways is that nearly all of the content is written by people like you—people who are earnestly striving to demonstrate Christian Science but who may not be professional writers.
But those who write for the periodicals do have a love for God and man. This is a key ingredient. Mrs. Eddy writes, "Love for God and man is the true incentive in both healing and teaching." Science and Health, p. 454. The spirit of this statement could well be used to describe the impulse that moves a writer to contribute to these magazines. But, of the several thousand manuscripts submitted each year, the Editors must select relatively few for publication. What about all the contributions that result in one of those letters saying "We're sorry to be returning your article . . ."?
The writer may often feel he has poured in his whole life's inspiration. His manuscript may have grown out of a wonderful healing. Or it may be the result of his deepest spiritual insights—his most cherished thoughts.
