Article September 7, 1912 Issue

In responding to your request for an expression as to...

Charles E. Jarvis—Los Angeles, Cal.

Out West

In responding to your request for an expression as to what I think would hasten universal peace, I can possibly best preface my remarks by quoting the reply of Jesus to the lawyer who asked him this question: "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" to which Jesus replied: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

Peace is obviously an effect rather than a cause, hence the first step in our desire for peace is to seek that cause. The reign of peace means the reign of God, the establishment of the kingdom of God in the hearts of men. Christian Science teaches us that heaven is not a place afar off, but it is within us, a state of consciousness attainable here and now. In that beautiful eleventh chapter of Isaiah, this condition is foretold when "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."

For centuries mankind has been seeking and longing for this peace, but has found it not, because it has been sought through the material rather than the spiritual. Of late years many gatherings have been held, having for their object the establishment of peace among the nations of this world, but, we ask, how can we reconcile these arguments for peace with the activity of these same nations in building mightier dreadnoughts, more destructive weapons, and maintaining and equipping greater armies? It is because of the greed, avarice, love of self, and, above all, the fear that exists in the hearts of men today; fear of the future, fear of each other, fear of lack, and fear of loss. It would appear then that the unhappy conditions with which we are confronted are the result of a lack of the knowledge of God and of obedience to His laws. Let us therefore turn away from our worship of the material and learn how to destroy this fear which is the root of all evil. Job tells us: "Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace," and as we begin our upward journey and become acquainted with God, we learn that He is Love, and John said that "perfect love casteth out fear."

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