Article February 11, 1905 Issue

Lesson from the New Church Building

OLIVE F. HUMPHREY

One day, in passing the new edifice for The Mother Church now being built in Boston, it was observed that each stone was numbered so as to show the builder its proper place. This brought out the thought that each individual has his rightful place in God's universal temple, and no matter how small the stone may be, it is essential to the building, and the work cannot be completed until each stone is found and placed in its proper position. It was also noticed that some of the smaller stones seemed to add the most of beauty, bringing out the perfect lines and giving the finishing touches to the design. A few days later, while watching the workmen as they placed a large stone in one of the columns, I noted the care which they exercised in getting it true. It seemed to be perfectly set in its place, but just then overseer came, and taking his rule measured it on all sides, and I heard him say, "About a sixteenth of an inch," and the workman, by striking it with a heavy timber, got it into its exact place. Here, then, was a lesson in exactness. We not only have our rightful place in the "building of God." but we must be in our exact place, or the perfectness of the entire structure is not demonstrated.

It is in the building of the true church, the Christ-consciousness, that we are most concerned. We should strive to have divine Principle, — the one Mind, — guide and govern our every act and thought, so that when "judgment" is laid "to the line, and righteousness to the plummet" we may be found, not only in the right place, but exact and true; and when this effort is honestly and persistently made we are able to reflect to others the redeeming, saving power of Truth and Love.

It is interesting to note that Isaiah foresaw the time for this exact measuring and judging to be in connection with the coming of the Christ. Through the "new spiritual idea" which has come to the world in Christian Science. God is revealed as divine Principle and man as His idea. This gives us the perfect model, and as the walls of our material structure are being reared, may we not with profit watch more closely the building going on in our own consciousness, to see that each thought is fit to be judged by the great overseer and found to be true to Principle?

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