Article March 15, 1913 Issue

LANGUAGE OF SPIRIT

RAYMOND CHURCHILL.

One winter's night not long ago, while in the depot of one of our large cities, I was talking to a Christian Scientist over the telephone. Although coming from a considerable distance, the voice sounded so loving and expressed such a spirit of true Christian brotherliness that for the moment I almost forgot I was far from my home and friends, and my heart echoed back the warm, joyous welcome. Not long before this I had had occasion to call up some one whose cold, abrupt tones were recalled as in striking contrast to the Christian Scientist's greeting, for the telephone faithfully conveys all the varied characteristics of the human voice, unconsciously revealing one's warmth or coldness of heart. If we realized the impressions that are being received at the other end of the wire, probably we would always use great care in speaking, as there is perhaps no better index to character than our natural voice modulations, which express our different mental qualities.

In this connection it is well to remember that the meaning of language is not limited to words alone. One dictionary gives this definition: "Style or expression peculiar to an individual." It is the spirit behind the words which makes them beautiful or repellent, since any word can be spoken in such manner as to convey its opposite meaning. The spirit of gladness, for instance, will manifest itself in a joyous tone of voice, regardless of what the words used may be, and is not necessarily dependent upon words for expression. How much can be read in a smile, in a kind look! Henry Drummond once made an address to a band of students, some of whom intended to be missionaries, in which he said, "You can take nothing greater to the heathen world than the impress and reflection of the love of God upon your character. That is the universal language. It will take you years to speak in Chinese, or in the dialects of India. From the day you land, that language of love, understood by all, will be pouring forth its unconscious eloquence. It is the man who is the missionary, it is not his words. His character is his message. In the heart of Africa, among the great lakes, I have come across black men and women who remembered the only white man they ever saw before—David Livingstone; and as you cross his footsteps in that dark continent, men's faces light up as they speak of the kind doctor who passed there years ago. They could not understand him; but they felt the love that beat in his heart."

On page 117 of our text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy writes, "God is Spirit; therefore the language of Spirit must be, and is, spiritual;" also, that "ear hath not heard, nor hath lip spoken, the pure language of Spirit." It would seem sometimes as though people who were the most spiritual talked the least. Emerson remarks in his essay on Friendship: "How many persons we meet in houses, whom we scarcely speak to, whom yet we honor, and who honor us! How many we see in the street, or sit with in church, whom, though silently, we warmly rejoice to be with! Read the language of these wandering eyebeams. The heart knoweth." As man is the expression of Truth, we violate God's law when we voice or express error; and conversation that is not born of goodness and fails to express the divine qualities, love, joy, gentleness, etc., is not only wasted, but is likely to do great harm. Paul says, "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers."

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