The human race is torn by the dissensions of hatred and the strifes of personal ambition. It writhes in the self-inflicted tortures of jealousy, revenge, and greed. The kindly and gentle qualities of human nature are trodden under the heel of a passion for personal gain. Those of common kindred, impelled by the same hopes and fears, and with the same interests at stake, who should live and love as brethren, are biting and devouring one another in the insanity of their self-love. What but divine Love can deliver mortals from this awful bondage? What but Christian Science, the rejected religion of Jesus, has ever made possible to men the demonstration of this divine Principle, destroying the pleasure of sin and the desire to hate or defraud each other? What but Christian Science has ever proclaimed man's independence of evil, of all selfishness and suffering?

The human mind is yet in its kindergarten stage regarding the real truth of man's being and his place in the universe. It must have object-lessons to teach what is real and right, true and good. It needs to see the operation of the law of Love in the healing not only of disease physical, but of ill-will, enmity, pride, bitterness, unforgiveness, all that prevents men from loving their brethren. Christian Scientists must realize that it is their task to furnish these object-lessons by living "beyond the reach of evil" themselves, by destroying all malice and selfishness in their intercourse with their fellow-men. If Christian Science is what is needed to give mortals rest from strife and bring peace and good-will to earth, the evidence thereof will be looked for in the lives and conduct of its adherents.

There is so much of hatred in the mental atmosphere of mortals that Christian Scientists must daily be loving more in order to antidote this "miasma," and make earth a heavenly place in which to dwell. To fulfil the sacred promise we have subscribed to in the last tenet of our Church (see Science and Health, p. 497) involves the constant denial of self through the generous and selfless loving of our brethren and our Cause. It is God who demands perfect love of us. Our past good thoughts and good deeds will not suffice for present needs. The divine and perfect Principle of man does not respect person or position, does not extend favor or protection simply because we have taken the name of Christian Scientists. We may have had good results in healing the sick and in leading others to seek and find the truth, but this will not save us from condemnation if we reach a point in our experience when we hate our brother, or turn from him in bitterness, when we should love him.

The Cause of Christian Science was established and exists impartially for the whole human race. In it there is no personal "my church" nor "your church," but the one Church of Christ, Scientist, embodying the idea and practice of universal Love. A Christian Scientist must love his Church unselfishly for his own spiritual good and the salvation of mankind. To love self more than Science, to entrench ourselves in our own wisdom and self-will, is to make of our egotism an obstruction to the success of the Cause we have outwardly espoused. It is wisdomless conceit to suppose that the ark of God in Christian Science depends upon us to guide it aright. What are we individually compared with the great work of establishing a Christianity that is to fulfil Jesus' words and repeat his works; that is, to be in deed and in truth a religion of love and good-will and peace? What concern should we have as to our place or influence in this movement if our whole desire is for God's will to be done in the salvation of mortals from all sin and evil?

Our Church stands for nothing if not for the loving of our neighbors as ourselves. What could be more fatal to our growth towards divine Love than enmity of any kind or degree, for that means hatred; and hatred stands for the opposite of all that Christian Science teaches. What do we expect to accomplish by declaring that man is the image and likeness of God, of infinite Love, if we do not believe it of our brother and live it for ourselves? What will God give us for words however sweet and true if their import is lacking in our life? When we remember that it is the spirit and not the letter that is to waken ourselves and others out of the dream of error, we should be careful, even in our hearts, not to offend one of God's little ones, nor be a drag upon the wheels of human progress towards the divine ideal. If love of Christ and not love of self be our ruling motive, our gatherings will be feasts of love, whose gathered fragments will feed the famine of the world. But if selfish interests govern us in our relation to our Cause, are we not trying "to seem what we have not lifted ourselves to be, namely, a Christian"? (Miscellaneous Writings p. 234).

As those who have enlisted under the banner of Christian Science, we should meet this question by loving so truly and constantly that no opposite quality shall have the opportunity to mesmerize or mislead us. We must do this before we can overcome in our conflict with evil. The world is watching us; it has a right to watch us. It has a right to expect of us some evidence of the power of Love, of which we speak so much. It has proof plenty of the evil effects of hatred and wrath and strife; what it needs is proof that Love is the saviour of mankind; that it does still the storms of human passion and bring peace; that it does enable men to literally live above their selfishness and to do unto others what they would have done to them. Let us not shrink from this scrutiny nor from this demand, but let us so live that our lives shall show the world that infinite Love reflected in love (Science and Health, p. 17) does not give place to any unkind, uncharitable, unlovable thing in man.

God is giving each his own place according to his fitness, and will beckon him higher as he grows more God-like. It is neither wise nor honest to desire what rightfully belongs to others. If we believe that Divine wisdom led Mrs. Eddy to the discovery of Christian Science, and through her has been guarding and guiding this great Cause all through the years to its establishment, can we not trust the same infinite wisdom to carry on this work in the best and wisest way, irrespective of personal ambition or desire? It is our part to be true to our trust by demonstrating Christian Science in its truth and beauty and loveliness, so that erring and suffering mortals seeing, may believe. Christ's wandering sheep need to be fed and gathered into the one fold. It is the hireling, he who works for personal gain and not for love, that leaves the sheep to be scattered and devoured by the wolves.

May God grant that as the years of this wonderful new century pass into history, and the world comes more and more to look into the lives of Christian Scientists for the evidence of God's goodness to man and the fruits of the spirit of love, that there will be less and less cause for disappointment and rebuke. May the growth of Christian love speedily unite the hearts and hands of all true Christian Scientists so that with one accord they shall reap the ripened harvest of the world.