Editorial May 22, 1909 Issue

SPIRITUALITY

Annie M. Knott

For no other thing, perhaps, are we more indebted to Christian Science than for its revelation of what constitutes spirituality. Webster defines spirituality as "that which belongs to the church, or to a person as an ecclesiastic, or to religion, as distinct from temporalities." Outside of Christian Science it has been very generally believed that spirituality stands for what some one has called "otherworldliness,"—something which has no necessary relation to our present-day problems; hence it has been thought that while the spiritual-minded might be safe so far as a future existence is concerned, they are not well equipped for the exigencies of the present time. This opinion has had its rise in the belief that mere abstraction from worldly affairs, and a good deal of religiousness, constitute spirituality, which is of course a serious mistake. Mrs. Eddy says, "To Jesus, not materiality, but spirituality, was the reality of man's existence, while to the rabbis the spiritual was the intangible and uncertain, if not the unreal" (Science and Health, p. 352).

If we examine carefully the results of human belief, we shall see that a false estimate of Spirit and spiritual things leads to failure in every direction. Christian Science teaches that as God is Spirit, all that He creates must of necessity be spiritual and—by the same logic—perfect. It therefore follows that our spirituality, to be genuine, must reflect the divine nature, its law and order, its perfection and power; hence the careless or imperfect performance of any task can never be attributed to spirituality, but rather to the lack of it. The healing work of Christian Science proves this by arousing one from the lethargy and indolence which are often induced by superstition and fear, and by awakening a realization of the true man's capabilities and possibilities, which begets an energy that is expressed in the bodily functions as well as in all that "thy hand findeth to do."

Spirituality might be defined as Godlikeness or Christ-likeness. It implies limitless possibilities on the side of good, and the utter exclusion of evil. The truly spiritual man could no more be tempted by evil than could the master Christian to whom the approach of an evil suggestion but meant an opportunity to crush the head of the serpent. To the spiritual-minded the appeal of want would present an occasion to prove the infinite and ever-present supply of divine Love for all human need. So far from true spirituality lessening one's interest in the welfare of others, or of human progress, it quickens his interest in the advance of humanity by showing him how this can best be attained, and that happiness is most surely realized by forgetting self in service for others. Spirituality means the possession of power, which can never be abused because it is never separated from its divine Principle. Jesus promised that his followers should be "endued with power from on high," and in Christian Science this promise is assuredly being fulfilled. They are realizing "power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy," even as he said. They are proving the powerlessness of all evil in the ratio of their spirituality, and by this test one's Christianity must stand or fall.

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