Article December 27, 1913 Issue

A Lesson from Experience

WILLIAM M. WHITMIRE

Not the least among the many blessings which Christian Science has revealed to the world, is its disclosure of the impersonal nature of evil; and the illumination thus thrown on many passages of the Bible which have heretofore been more or less obscure, makes the Scripture more practical in its application to our present needs.

An experience which the writer had some months ago, illustrated evil's unreal and impersonal nature, and also gave him a much clearer concept of the meaning of a passage in the Bible which before had been clothed in considerable mystery. It occurred at the close of a day which he had spent in trying to help a near relative who was reported to be quite ill. In order to transact some business while waiting at a station, he went into a basement room where quite a number of men were gathered, who were using loud, obscene, and profane language. Primarily to prevent any disturbance of the work being done for the one who was sick, he immediately began to affirm very earnestly the ever-presence of God, good, the allness of Truth and the consequent harmony, also to deny the power or reality of anything in opposition thereto. Almost instantly the loud talk ceased, and during the whole time he remained, which was some thirty minutes, there was no more obscene or profane language used and no error of any kind voiced. So quickly and effectively had Truth's work been manifested, that the writer was surprised at the result, being rather inexperienced in resorting to the power of ever-present Mind as understood in Christian Science.

This experience revealed a new meaning to the words of Jesus to Peter shortly after the attack by the infuriated mob in the garden of Gethsemane, when he commanded Peter to put up his sword, saying, "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?" Mrs. Eddy defines angels as "God's thoughts passing to man; . . . the inspiration of goodness, . . . counteracting all evil," etc. (Science and Health, p. 581). Jesus well knew the effective power of these "angels," if they were resorted to by him in that seemingly dark hour of his earthly career; he knew that these divine ideas could immediately quell the mob spirit there manifested, and thus prevent what the world regards as one of its greatest tragedies. But he did not choose thus to turn away from the supreme demonstration which was confronting him. A more important phase of truth was to be manifested; for the time had come when humanity was to witness the Master's greatest triumph, in which the wrath of man was not only to be brought to naught, but even made to redound to the glory of God and to the uplifting of the Christ-idea before the whole world.

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