Editorial January 3, 1914 ISSUE

Winsomeness

John B. Willis

The burden of St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians is a plea that the Christian disciple awaken to the preeminence of the privilege and power to which he is called, and in the splendid optimism of his faith he dares to refer to the time when all faithful believers shall attain "unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ"! As one thinks longingly of the possibilities pertaining to such a spiritual realization, he does well to remember that there are two relations which must be maintained to effect a truly saving influence, namely, contact with God, or inspiration, and contact with men, or expression,—the word spoken, and its tactful and discreet utterance.

Of God, divine Principle, Mrs. Eddy has said that He expresses both "Science and art throughout His creation" (Science and Health, p. 507 ), and these qualities must of course the activity of His image or reflection. This constitutes and explains the greatness and glory of the Wayshower. It was the perfection with which he revealed the nature and capabilities of Truth. The wisdom of Science is the dominant fact in the ideal life, and when we remember the stumblings and shortcomings of the human in all history, who can measure our occasion for rejoicing that the divinity which would make our living victorious is unaffected by the weakness and unworthiness of our Christian discipleship.

The concepts and ascetic devotions of the so-called "holy men" of India, seem utterly defeating both to their own spiritual advance and to their helpfulness to others; nevertheless, without doubt the religious idea, thought of God and of spiritual gain, is their leading impulsion. The pall of ignorance and superstition rests upon what would otherwise have proved a redemptive purpose. This may seem an extreme illustration of the degrading significance of false sense to spiritual aspiration, and yet how often today does the human hindrance to the rule of the Christ-idea assume in effect these fakir proportions and rob us of the fruitage which would certainly be ours were we as wise as we are wellintentioned. Savingly attractive power is attained only when an ideal concept is expressed in an ideal way. The vision is gained through revelation—it is an intuition. The expression is, for the most part, acquired only through schooling; we have to learn to be wise and winsome, and upon no other thought perchance can we more profitably meditate these forelooking days of the new year.

No story could be more pitiful than that of Peter's denial of his Lord, and yet this is the tragedy enacted every time our words, our bearing, or our deeds discredit the truths we apprehend and declare respecting God and man and human privilege. Let us face the fact that it is here and not elsewhere that the one great disability to the triumph of Christian truth has ever been found. St. Paul's letters to the churches are a continuous appeal for consistency of conduct, and apart from her expositions of Christian Science, all of our Leader's writings constitute a kindred persuasive call. The power of God is present in the truth we preach, but we can bring it into saving touch with men only as we become a spiritualized instrument for its activity, in the consistency of our conduct, our honesty, purity, unselfishness, and patient loving-kindness.

Here as everywhere "Love is the liberator" (Science and Health, p. 225 ). We must be scientific if we would save; that is, we must realize the truth about man, and have that consequent compassion which begets the attitude toward every human being that was defined in the life of the Master as true brotherhood, and that is coming in this our time,—

To build with song again
The broken hope of men—
To hush and heroize the world.

In the long run, love's genuineness is irresistible, and when this distinctively characterizes our daily doings, we have added winsomeness of expression to the worth of our thought, and become the effective embodiments of redemptive truth. To think ever of this, and mold our deeds thereby, is to fill our days with gladness by becoming a blessing to all we meet. Thus will we prove the proverb true, "He that winneth souls is wise."

John B. Willis.

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