Article August 8, 1908 Issue

"DOERS OF THE WORD."

LOUISE SMITH GLANVILLE.

Who that has known what it means to be born again, to feel the living, loving presence of the one Mind, to rest secure in Love's protecting care, who has recognized the touch of truth coming into his heart like the dawn of a new day, revealing the Christ, has not longed and prayed for the world to rise into this heavenly consciousness, this consciousness of God, good?

After the student of Christian Science has himself learned to enter the sacred sanctuary, to draw close to God, and feel Love's healing benediction, his first thought is to lead everybody he knows to this source of all blessedness. He usually begins by telling all his friends of Science; and what a disappointment it is when he finds that the "secret place of the most High" cannot be described in words, nor the joy and health and peace he finds there be expressed to a material thought. He sees more clearly than before how deep and far removed from mortal mentality lies this "pearl of great price," the spiritual sense of Christ, the divine sonship. No matter how beautiful his experience has been, nor how wonderful his deliverance from sorrow or sickness or sin, he finds that his attempt to inform others of his new-found treasure through language, be it ever so eloquent, is useless unless the listeners' thoughts have been purged through pain or disappointment, or they are instinctively yearning for that which is above and beyond mortal belief. If asleep with satisfaction in things of the world, his listeners will quite likely think think him very much deluded, perhaps a fanatic, or at best tiresome, and he in turn feels that he has failed to impress them with the fact that he possesses anything more than they and all other Christians possess; and although the conversation may be the means later of bringing forth good fruit, at the time the student experiences a sense of discouragement.

This experience teaches him that he cannot talk people into the kingdom of heaven; he must show them in, as it were, by his life and his works. Jesus was the Wayshower, and each Christian Scientist should be, in the degree of his understanding, a wayshower. Words alone are dull and lifeless in comparison to a life eloquent with thoughtful acts, ever awake to and supplying its brother's need, doing its every task cheerfully and as God would have it done; a life so illuminated by Love's gracious presence that its every thought is one of love, healing and blessing those who come under its sweet influence. What mortal is so base that the desire to be better has been entirely stifled, or whose heart is so stony that it will not some day be melted through the constant rediation of divine Love by his neighbor? Suppose this neighbor had succeeded through his understanding and demonstration of divine Science in patterning his human life after his highest concept of the divine Life, would not many who come into contact with this life feel its inspiration and some time be led in humility to inquire as to the source of so much joy, good will, and helpfulness? The words spoken in reply will then be the natural outcome of the life,—gently, lovingly given, without mortal insistence, but by divine authority.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

"DOERS OF THE WORD."

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access