Article April 25, 1903 Issue

A Spiritual Structure on a Material Foundation

C. D. REED.

Why put so much stress upon physical healing? Why not become spiritually-minded and use any and all means to try to keep the body in subjection? By allowing a physical body to regulate my going or coming, my health or sickness, pain or pleasure, business prosperity or failure, I soon learn to think that a physical body is I, and it is then next to impossible for this I (physical body) to be, or to understand that I am spiritual.

But, says one, the spirit is in your body. Well, if I am this kind of a double, then which should control? Or does each have equal power? Or are they independent of each other? With matter, or physical body, constantly asserting its superiority or control, by making me a slave to its pains and pleasures, I am in no shape to realize my real, or spiritual existence. To build a spiritual structure or understanding on such a foundation is very difficult and impracticable. Jesus knew a better way, and the only way, and demonstrated the uselessness of our trying "to climb up some other way."

The first glimpse of true spiritual understanding, is obtained when we learn to dispel mentally the seeming physical, or material discord. "Become conscious for a single moment that life and intelligence are purely spiritual,—neither in nor of matter,—and the body will then utter no complaints" (Science and Health, p. 14). When Jesus met the people he supplied their immediate necessities. If hungry he fed them, if sick, he healed them; and experience shows that it is impractical to begin at the top to realize our spiritual existence, rather must we work out of the material beliefs by the same process on which Jesus laid so much stress.

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