Article April 8, 1911 Issue

Some three months ago, while in Philadelphia, I attended...

J. W. Pope

Southern Pines (N. C.) Tourist

Some three months ago, while in Philadelphia, I attended on a Sunday, for the first time in my life, a Christian Science church. It was a commodious church building and well filled with a congregation that in its general appearance would rank with any assemblage of religionists to be found in a city church on the Sabbath. The services consisted wholly of readings, either from the Scriptures or Mrs. Eddy's book, and singing. The whole routine of exercises was so simplified in its character that it could hardly be expected to interest or impress the superficial observer; but what attracted my attention most was the profound concern manifested by the hearers to catch every word that fell from the lips of the Readers.

What is the solution of it? This manifest interest in the simple service, each one of which is almost a facsimile of the other? It was the same old, old story that was preached two thousand years ago—love to God and love to man—only retold. Is it an unwarrantable assumption to say that these people may have delved deeper into spiritual truth and thus have come together in a spirit of reverence and gratitude to praise God that they are living in His sunlight? Is it an unreasonable supposition that they may have come in closer touch with a living reality, of which we know so little, and that they are abiding on a higher spiritual plane? This is the only church in all the ages that has been founded on love as the ruling principle in life. All others have been built on a system of beliefs. Not one has followed the teachings of Christ. Not one has stood the test of sincerity. Narrow souls and carping critics may criticize and oppose and seek to belittle the beliefs of Christian Scientists, but they should be judged by their words and deeds.

At this point in my disquisition it may be pertinent to ask if the human race is prepared to accept the preaching of a doctrine of love as taught by Christ. From a cursory view we might answer no; that history is to repeat itself, but we are not living in the sixteenth century. We are meeting a higher and ever-growing intelligence, that is more boldly expressing itself not only among our profound thinkers, but among those who have been held down by unjust and arbitrary power. Who does not know that there are millions of souls today who are sending up unuttered cries for the lifting of their burdens? The walls of our jails and prisons echo with the sad, plaintive appeals of thousands for a larger humanity—for a degree of mercy that shall be tempered with justice—and from our courts there rise grim wrongs that scourge alike the innocent and the guilty, a system without heart in it and that needs humanizing.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

Some three months ago, while in Philadelphia, I attended...

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access