The question What is life? is as old as the race itself, and from the world's standpoint it is no nearer solution today than it was when first propounded. The complexity of modern living has only served to accentuate the intensity of a query which has never received, and can never receive, a satisfactory answer from any form of material philosophy. Yet men are still relying on the microscope and the test tube in their hopeless quest, all unmindful of the Scriptural question, "Canst thou by searching [in matter] find out God?" True, most Christians have agreed substantially with the Westminster catechism in its declaration, "Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever," but there is a radical difference as to what constitutes the glorifying of God, and all thinkers will admit that a mere emotional outpouring of praise to God is far from satisfying. This is because men have for so long failed to see that existence in the flesh is not life, for, as Mrs. Eddy says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 244), "If we were to derive all our conceptions of man from what is seen between the cradle and the grave, happiness and goodness would have no abiding-place in man, and the worms would rob him of the flesh."

If God is the Father of all, then His children should represent that fatherhood, and this is surely a sufficient reason for the being of all the sons and daughters of God. In line with this statement Jesus said, "Because I [the Christ] live, ye shall live also." Jesus constantly tried to turn men away from a material to a spiritual view of life, not only by his own method of living, but by such declarations as "The flesh profiteth nothing," "The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment." His example and precepts should forever settle the question as to whether mere animal existence, which rests in absolute dependence upon food and drink and is subject to every passing whim of so-called nature, is the truth of being. If the material body is man, then indeed would all mankind be justified in echoing the despairing complaint of Job when he temporarily went down before that false belief and lamented the day that he was born; and this disorted sense of life is what the Preacher had in mind when he voiced that pessimistic cry, "All is vanity."

How, then, shall man glorify God? The Bible makes it clear that it is by doing those things which God would have him do. Glorifying God neither begins nor ends with lip service, as this method of praise is only an incident; neither is it comprehended in a superficially perfunctory observance of the ten commandments or the rules of some church. In order to glorify or serve God aright, His laws must be incorporated into our daily lives, not merely as a code of moral ethics, but as Paul says, in "demonstration of the Spirit and of power." There is a vast difference between a religionist and a Christian, though, despite the triteness of this saying. It seems to be forgotten, not infrequently, that Jesus himself left a definite rule by which his followers should be judged, in such unequivocal statements as "These signs shall follow them that believe;" "He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also." As to the nature of these works, one has only to turn to the pages of the New Testament to find a detailed account of the wonderful healing which was such an essential part of his ministry. These works were not essential, however, in the sense that they constituted the whole, or even the greater part, of his mission to men, but in the sense that they were the inevitable consequence of his teaching, just as darkness must disappear in the presence of light.

There can be no true happiness except in service, and this truism has been recognized by pagan and Christian thinkers alike. Says Stevenson: "So long as we love, we serve; so long as we are loved by others, I would almost say that we are indispensable; and no man is useless while he has a friend." And he might have added, "or is a friend." So, after all, we only serve God by serving our brother, and this service of God is not confined to the so-called larger things of life, but enters into the little things as well. One of the first lessons learned by the student of Christian Science is the importance which its teaching attaches to everything in God's creation, and the vision of Peter is thus repeated with its accompanying command, "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common." This thought lends a sublime dignity to the humblest service and glorifies the little things with a halo of divinity not born of earth. New beauties are seen where formerly dwelt only the dulness of monotony, and all mankind comes closer to us with the touch of a brother. The outlook on life is broadened and deepened, the sublime law of loving our neighbor as ourselves takes deeper root in thought, and life is no longer looked upon as a treadmill existence whose ceaseless grind must be endured, and which is only endurable because of a dimly defined, chaotic hope of possible happiness beyond the grave. With this realization comes the conscious knowing that we are all members of "one body," and that "much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary." How true it is that millions of God's children treat life as a bread-winning experience only; as consisting solely of working in order to get enough money to buy enough food to get enough strength to do some more work throughout an endless chain of hopeless existence so far as this life is concerned, with a torturing apprehension of an uncertain existence hereafter!

It is to such as these that Christian Science comes with its compassionate appeal and its radiant assurance of better things now and always. This new outlook on life is transforming in its nature, and the student begins to realize that all good work is God's work, and that each individual fills a niche in the economy of the world which no other can fill. Thus the humblest occupation is invested with a new interest, and every rising sun is welcomed as the herald of a fresh opportunity to do good by rendering to our fellow men every service we can. Who, then, dare say that anything made by God can be trivial or insignificant? In Christian Science every task becomes lighter and every day becomes brighter.

Paul says, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." It matters not how material or menial our work may seem to be, if its object and end is good, it is God's work, and meets the present demand upon us as well as our present needs. While Christian Science is superlatively idealistic, it is also intensely practical, for every phase of daily life is governed by that law of God which is applicable to every human need and condition. In God there is no such thing as a treadmill existence, and every work to be performed is glorified by the presence of Him who is ever present. We should not forget that Jesus himself was a carpenter, and that the twelve apostles were chosen from the very humblest walks of life. Is it conceivable that they moped over their tasks or were ashamed to have their occupations known? Today's task, well performed, will lead to still higher tasks in the spiritual realm until, in the fulness of time, "man is clothed and fed spiritually" (Science and Health, p. 442). This realization will forever annul the Adamic law, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread," and man will then work as God works. Thus, and only thus, will the true meaning of life dawn upon the consciousness of all mankind.