Articles

"In the spirit of Christ's charity,—as one who 'hopeth all things, endureth all things,' and is joyful to bear consolation to the sorrowing and healing to the sick,—she commits these pages to honest seekers for Truth. " ( Mary Baker Eddy, in the Preface to her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures) One thing about spiritual Truth: it cannot be kept to oneself without being lost to oneself and to others.

Editor's note: This is the third in a series of three articles. The first article, in May, explored the spiritual meaning of the Promised Land; last month's article looked at how we as individuals can experience God's promise in our lives; and this final article will share how communities are being blessed by this vision of spiritual reality.

It would have been natural for early Christian to ask themselves questions about their faith, especially after the Master and the apostles were no longer with them. Questions like: Who was this man called Jesus, and what did he teach? What does it really mean to be a Christian? What do we Christians believe in, and how should we act? What kind of organization should a church have? Most Christians felt these questions could best be answered by establishing a body of sacred writings, or Scripture, that would preserve the teachings of Jesus and the apostles accurately and clearly.

It can be helpful and inspiring to read the various accounts in the Bible of individuals who were called of God to accomplish some holy purpose. There was Moses, Gideon, Jonah, the disciples, Paul, and others.

The Master, Christ Jesus, was a visitor in the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, and these were people he loved. So it must have been with tenderness that he spoke.

It has been said that, left alone, a large percentage of diseases would go away without drugs or medical attention. While this may be an encouraging statement concerning the natural recuperative activity of the human mind and body, it is not Christian Science.

" Raising his eyes and seeing a large crowd coming towards him, Jesus said to Philip, 'Where are we to buy bread to feed these people?'" ( The New English Bible, John 6:5 ) In the feeding of the crowd gathered to hear Jesus' words, a boy's lunch was ready to be multiplied into ample food for all, including the disciples. Like the boy who came prepared for whatever the day might demand, a lecturer's role is to come prepared with a message ready to be multiplied by the touch of Christ, Truth.

The attitude of a Christian Scientist is that of a lifelong student. It's natural, then, that there's a place in his or her daily study and spiritual progress for thoughtful research.

" Would you rather be a master or a servant?" If that question were asked of a hundred people in the so-called developed Western world today, the vast majority would probably say master! The world does not generally give the role of servant very good press. And yet there are countries in the world where being a servant is still considered an honorable profession, where the attitudes inherent in being a servant are greatly valued.

To an unscientific viewpoint, the dawn might appear to be caused by the light of the sun getting brighter or by the darkness being driven back. The first would imply that the intensity of the sun's light is variable.