Article September 19, 1903 Issue

The Value of Unity

WILLARD S. MATTOX.

From the initial fact of creation, as chronicled in the divinely simple statement, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth," to the consummation of all revelation, "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last." the Bible is filled with references to the unity of good,—the oneness of Deity and His universe. A careful study of Science and Health, the Christian Science text-book, reveals a kindred emphasis on this scientific proposition. Long before Jesus declared that he and the Father were inseparable, the word that heals had been preached by the prophets; "Hear, oh Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord."

Evidence is not lacking that a recognition of the unity of Principle and idea heals the disordered dream of material living. The very basis of all evil is discovered to be the original lie which translated Mind into minds many, and body into bodies many. Division is the mathematics of mortal mind. Jesus gave us the redeeming truth. "I and my Father are one." When man knows that he is one with Spirit and not one with matter, he is healed of the lie of division. Then he understands that Mind is one, and body is one, for "All is infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation" (Science and Health, p. 468).

The early Christians were enjoined to have the Mind of Christ. If it is good to have the Christ-mind, if it is desirable to pray that we may all have the same mind, is it not also good to have the body of Christ? May we not all have the same Mind and the same body, if that Mind and that body are infinite and one? "The allness of Deity is His oneness" (Science and Health, p. 267), and the Christian Scientist of to-day is beginning to appreciate the value of unity, for to have one Mind, and that Mind infinite, is to have a sufficiency of right thought about everything; it means no lack of mental power; it means intelligence enough to appreciate fully all the grace and beauty of God's exquisite universe; it means enough wisdom from God Himself to make unnecessary another mind to interpret Him for us, or transmit to us His lovingkindness. Health is gained by knowing that nothing comes between the Son and the Father. It is not gained by believing that there exists any divinely ordained series, by means of which life and good are imparted by the Creator to His creation. The only series of which we have any account in the Bible is the one recognized by Jesus, when he said "I and my Father are one." The same unity is preserved in the statement on page 276 of our text-book, Science and Health, "Man and his Maker are correlated in divine Science."

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

Christian Science for all Mankind