The true man doesn't live an existence of "jam to morrow and jam yesterday — but never jam to day."Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass, Chap. 5. Man's inherently blessed nature and condition are not part of a long lost paradise or of an elusive future; they are a tangible reality here and now. Christian Scientists want deeply to give out this good news by attracting receptive people to church services and there providing spiritual enlightenment, blessing, and healing.
Part of Mrs. Eddy's interpretation of "Church" is, "The structure of Truth and Love; whatever rests upon and proceeds from divine Principle."Science and Health, p. 583.Divine Love, God, includes no hatred, faction, friction. Each branch of the Church of Christ, Scientist, is designed to give evidence of this structure, and therefore has as its purpose the manifestation of the attributes of Love—and none of the opposites.
But suppose there seems to be strife, division, habitual faultfinding, human will, or arrogance within a church. Do these traits reach out into the community and offer welcome? We may be faithfully realizing that the spiritual idea of Church includes all God's creation, so that our church's manifestation of that idea just naturally invites the community; but if we find ourselves having unloving thoughts and expressing them in unloving words and actions, what is the effect on our invitation? Does this negative attitude contribute to the healing power of the services? "Let us do good unto all men," Paul reminds us, "especially unto them who are of the household of faith."Gal. 6:10.(Just think: Be nice even to our fellow church members!) He also says, "But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another."5:15.(Be nice especially to our own members!)
