Article April 20, 1912 Issue

"BLESSED ARE THE MEEK"

KATHARINE T. PORTER.

In preparing a Sunday school lesson on the subject of the third beatitude, I referred to the dictionary, and with this aid some beautiful explanations of its meaning were opened up to me. Among the synonyms given for the word "meek" I found "unassuming," and felt immediately what a world of meaning it held in the enlightened thought of Christian Science. But what was the exact meaning of "to assume"? Once more I turned over the pages, and found among other definitions the following wonderfully significant teaching: "To take upon oneself;" "take for granted, or without proof;" "claim more than is due." Among the synonyms given were "to arrogate," "to usurp."

Returning to the first definition, "To take upon oneself,"—oh, the vast assumption of mortal mind, with its innumerable beliefs of mind in matter and evil; its "I" written so big, its beliefs in minds many, and consequent denial of the allness of God, Spirit, the one Mind! Then quickly thought traveled to the second meaning given, namely, "to take for granted." All the so-called facts of mortal mind are accepted wholesale on the evidence of the physical senses, the carnal mind, which St. Paul said is "enmity against God," and which Jesus called "a liar, and the father of it." What kind of "proof" can that be to which these senses testify, and how worthy of reliance?

The third meaning given, "to take more than is due," brought the question, Are sorrow, sickness, sin, death what is due to God's image and likeness, which He pronounced good? Do we not take these for granted, for our neighbor and for ourselves? do we not suppose them to be facts? Thus my eye wandered to the synonym "to usurp." Verily mortal thinking does seek to usurp the place, the power, the verity, the allness of the most High, God, and the mortal sense of man arrogates to itself the place which belongs to the perfect spiritual man whom God has created. To indulge in any of these beliefs, therefore, is to "assume," and this is the opposite of meekness.

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