Article July 25, 1908 Issue

LOYALTY

GERTRUDE RING.

THERE is no trait in the human character more beautiful than loyalty. It is the most desirable of mental possessions, natural or acquired. What would youth, beauty, wealth, or fame count for, in the choice of a friend, if that one were known to be disloyal? Where do we turn in our moments of deepest woe or highest joy? To the loyal, always! We are moved to admiration, blended with respect, even by the fidelity shown by animals; and this is loyalty's incomplete expression.

Loyalty is so requisite in our profession as Christian Scientists that we may well consider its more important demands. First of all we should manifest it toward God. Constancy, a dictionary synonym for loyalty, is one of God's attributes, and we should recognize the blessings flowing from a demonstrable understanding of Him "with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning," and endeavor to reflect this stability. If we do this, our entire allegiance is His, we are closely joined to Him in all our thoughts and desires in such unity as Science and Health teaches to be "at-one-ment."

The next in line who surely deserves our undivided loyalty is our great Exemplar, Christ Jesus. Christian Scientists render him a homage richer in understanding of the divine Principle, to interpret which he lived and suffered, than that of any other class of people. Jesus' life means more to Scientists than it is possible it could mean to the materialist, for they literally prove his promise and know that the incomparable virgin conception is faintly but truly repeated every time pure thought gives birth to the spiritual idea. Were we always unfailingly constant to the explicit instructions this wonderful Counselor gave, our adherence to right would be so inevitably certain that disloyalty in any form would be impossible. And how the character and import of his doctrines have changed for all who with implicit confidence rely upon his words for guidance! "Judge not, that ye be not judged," and its elucidation, "with what measure ye mete; it shall be measured to you again," and all similar expositions, instead of appearing, as of old, to be threats, are now, to those who with careful analysis have traced effect to cause, the loving explanations of the manner of meeting error in its incipiency.

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