Editorial March 2, 1912 Issue

LIFE AND ACTIVITY

Annie M. Knott

Not many years ago, Professor Drummond, admittedly one of the brightest intellects of his day, wrote: "Nature cannot say what spiritual life is. Indeed, what natural life is remains unknown, and the word life still wanders through science without a definition." Of course the dictionaries have supplied definitions of the word, but Professor Drummond doubtless meant that none of them was adequate or defined life per se. The Standard dictionary gives the following definition: "The state of being alive; that condition in which animals and plants exist, etc.; the animation of the body, in animals and man, by the vital principle or animal soul; the condition or time between birth and death." These and other definitions, however, fail to present life as cause, and deal with it only as effect materially viewed, although Spencer and some other writers hint at life as apart from the thing which lives; but even these have little or nothing to say as to life itself.

In view of this failure to explain life, Christian Scientists have great reason to be thankful for the teaching of Christian Science on this all-important subject, for it tells us that Life is God, the divine Principle of the universe including man. Mrs. Eddy says that "Life is Mind, the creator reflected in His creations." She also says: "The divine Mind includes all action and volition, and man in Science is governed by this Mind" (Science and Health, pp. 331, 187). From our text-book we also learn that Life is not blind force, but divine intelligence, and that its manifestations are not material but spiritual. Mere movement is not a manifestation of Life, but intelligence, goodness, and spirituality are Life's manifestations, and these include health and holiness.

Here it may be asked wherein this teaching differs from the ordinarily accepted theories, to which it may be answered that, like the teaching of Christ Jesus, it is intensely practical. He said he had come that men "might have life" and have it "more abundantly." He also said that in order to live we must know God, and in his marvelous healing work he showed beyond all question that he understood Life to be God. Now disease is not a manifestation of Life, and neither is sin; hence, as he awakened in those who sought his aid the consciousness of Life, sin, disease, and death vanished before his declarations as darkness flees before light. Well might John say, "In him [the eternal Christ] was life; and the life ws the light of men,"—a light intense enough to pierce even the darkness of the tomb, and the denser darkness of mortal belief, when Lazarus responded to Truth's puissant "Come forth."

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