Editorial January 17, 1914 Issue

Seeking Wisdom Aright

Archibald McLellan

In some of the branch churches, especially at the time at which changes in officers are to be made, there often seems to be a great perplexity in regard to the eligibility of certain persons for certain offices. Quite often this uncertainty as to the right course to pursue results in a seeking for the opinion of others, whether these persons are members of the local church or not, and despite the provision of the Church Manual (Art. XXIII, Sect. 10) that "each branch church shall be distinctly democratic in its government, and no individual, and no other church shall interfere with its affairs." Clearly, then, this question of eligibility is a problem to be dealt with by the church or society directly concerned. Instead, however, of giving heed to that sage counsel of the apostle James, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not," some consult friends in other branch churches, others consult their teachers, and still others instinctively form cliques and endeavor to confirm themselves in the opinions which they originally held.

While it is possible that through these various processes some one may arrive at the right solution of the problem, it is obviously patent that every Christian Scientist should know a better way, in fact the only sure way, to determine upon any course of action, and that a great deal of valuable time and energy is wasted in futile efforts to reconcile the various human opinions thus obtained. The right way is, of course, to seek divine guidance, to give our earnest endeavor to the end that we may have in us that Mind "which was also in Christ Jesus." Of this Mind, this fount of infinite wisdom and loving-kindness, Mrs. Eddy writes on page 492 of Science and Health, "God is Mind, and God is infinite; hence all is Mind." She further writes, on page 275, "No wisdom is wise but His wisdom," and this being true, why not, on all occasions and under all circumstances, seek this Mind for that wisdom which must guide all right action?

When a patient goes to a practitioner of Christian Science, he takes this step because he wishes to have the rule of Christian Science applied to his case, in order that the false beliefs from which he seems to suffer may be destroyed and the truth about God and man made manifest. He would not be able, as a rule, to state his case in just this way at the beginning, but later on, as he gradually through study and demonstration gains an understanding of what Christian Science is and what it has done and is doing for the children of men, this would be approximately what he would say. It is probable, too, tht not until he had become well grounded in the teachings of Science and Health, and taken this view of what Christian Science accomplishes in human experience, would he feel himself ready to become a member of a Christian Science church.

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