Editorial May 9, 1908 Issue

LOVE'S LARGER MINISTRY

John B. Willis

Human relationship imposes many responsibilities, to the fulfilment of which men devote the bulk of their time and energy. Parents gladly recognize their obligation to provide food, clothing, protection, and opportunity for their offspring, and therein find one of the strongest impulsions to industry, economy, foresight, and self-sacrifice. This ministry upon the plane of present need is altogether worthy, and yet he who does no more than all this in his doing, does far less, as we all know, than is demanded of him, for the well-being of those who are dependent upon him, and withal for the satisfaction of his own heart. We cannot enter into the true meaning, the privilege and joy of parenthood until we have awakened to the call of a far higher service. Our devotion of thought and labor to the supply of material needs must become an incident of a nobler, more vital ministry, before we apprehend our true relationship and find our true reward.

We have all felt this, even if we have not thought it out. We have known that in providing the boots and boardingschool we were contributing but the smaller part; that all we do for material advantage and comfort should be simply the visible sign of a purpose and endeavor which defines Love, which stimulates and enforces loyalty to Truth and to all right and beautiful things; and in so far as we have seen that this higher ministry was effecting its end, in so far we have been truly satisfied, for it is this nobler apprehension of true living which alone redeems the many phases of human experience that would otherwise become commonplace and unendurable.

This is one of the perennially gladdening things of the "higher life" with the advance of which Christian Science is identified. Every earnest and honest student of this Science soon learns that he may fulfil Love's larger ministry with every least service and doing, he speedily comes to think of the common every-day work, and to do it, with a finer sense of its opportunity and true significance, with that holy and unselfish spiritual aim which forever separates allotted tasks from any sense of triviality, and makes them each seem a call to an undertaking that demands an ideal spirit and devotion for its doing. Says our Leader, "The real Christian Scientist is constantly accentuating harmony in word, and deed, mentally and orally, perpetually repeating this diapason of heaven: 'Good is my God, and my God is good. Love is my God, and my God is Love' " (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 206).

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