Articles

There is no subject of such vital interest to humanity as that of freedom. The universal demand and endeavor is for a greater, truer freedom than is today experienced, and there is manifestly much need of some better, surer means for obtaining it than is in general use.

There is a well known narrative in the older Scripture about a man in a den of lions; but the real significance back of the account is revealed by the story of an angel. On page 581 of Science and Health we read this definition of angels: "God's thoughts passing to man; spiritual intuitions, pure and perfect; the inspiration of goodness, purity, and immortality, counteracting all evil, sensuality, and mortality.

The human mind is prone to look upon some of the seeming wonders of material things as more or less spiritual in their nature. Among such things may be named the unfolding flower, the developing child, and the attraction which apparently controls stellar activity.

In his epistle to the Colossians Paul says, "Let the peace of God rule in your hearts, .

"Such as I have give I thee,"— simple words that were the harbinger of a great gift, the utterance and the benison of one just awakened to the consciousness of the truth and to the power of the Christ to heal and save. From the depths of doubt and despair the impetuous, emotional Peter had risen, on the wave of a penitential spirit that was perfect in its sincerity, to an illuminated sense of the all-power and all-presence of God and of mortal man's impotency.

In no way has Christian Science proven of more value to us than in showing the true meaning of the word dominion, as found in the first chapter of Genesis, and how to achieve it. All down the ages history shows mankind reaching out for power, trying to achieve, as though some inward voice were continually prompting mortals with an assurance that man's birthright is dominion; and all down the ages also human efforts have often seemed weak and helpless failures.

While working recently on the subject of church building, the thought occurred, Where does church building begin? Does it begin when the first crust of earth is turned to make ready the erection of a Christian Science edifice? Does it begin in the church edifice on Sunday morning after one is seated at service? Did church building begin when the foundation of The Mother Church was laid? Or did it begin when our Master, who himself healed the sick, said to Peter, "Upon this rock will I build my church"? In Science and Health Mrs. Eddy says, "Jesus established his church and maintained his mission on a spiritual foundation of Christ-healing.

What a thrill even the word democracy brings to the heart of one who truly loves his brother man and expresses this love in the fervent desire that each and all shall have the same rights and privileges which he himself desires. Even among the vast number of those who believe in minds good and evil, intelligent and unintelligent, the thought of democracy always tends to awaken hope and stimulate to greater effort, since' its endeavor is to assure some measure of responsibility to each and to open the door of opportunity to all.

Misapprehension of divine law is a serious obstacle in the way of our continuous progress, prosperity, peace, and happiness. Our problem is to remove this obstacle, and this can be accomplished through Christian Science, which is bringing to the world a right apprehension of God's law.

Because the display of arrogance, conceit, and pride of worldly wisdom has usually been considered the only way in which people have failed to fulfil this particular beatitude, "Blessed are the meek," an idea of meekness has been fostered which is more limited than that exemplified in the Bible. While it is true that one cannot entertain these false beliefs, or even tenacious human opinions, and at the same time realize meekness, error has other ways whereby the treasure of meekness may be stolen from us, and one of these agencies is fear.