Article July 4, 1914 Issue

Guarding the Door

PRISCILLA M. HOGG

It would seem that there is often heedless talk about church matters among members and adherents of our churches, and a little lesson that was recently learned by one Christian Scientist on this subject may be helpful. One day, while away from home, she was studying the rules and by-laws of the branch church to which she had applied for membership. Her companion, who was not a Christian Scientist, was a friend with whom she had been closely associated in another church. This friend was an ardent social worker, and thinking that she would be interested, the Scientist said, "Christian Science church government is purely democratic." The friend remarked, "Do you think any government is ever purely democratic?"

This innocent question proved to be a pitfall for the Scientist, who left the door of thought decidedly unguarded for a moment. Her friend knew that for many months previous to this the Scientist had been attending a Christian Science branch church in the city in which they both lived, and also knew that she was not seeking to join that one, but another in the same city. The Scientist, forgetting the gratitude which she owed as a former adherent of the church first attended,—indeed, forgetting everything that she ought to have remembered,—was very foolishly about to utter criticisms upon its government, which after all she knew nothing about, as she had never been a member. At that moment, however, she was sharply stung on her right hand by a wasp. In her sudden surprise she flung her hand against the nearest object and killed the insect. At the same instant, and above the disturbing sense of pain, was a feeling of great relief that the venomous thoughts had not been uttered, and that instead, their sting was dead, for the unreality and futility of that error was made manifest and would not be likely to have any hold upon her again.

A few minutes later the powerlessness of the physical sting was also demonstrated,—the one seemed a type of the other,—and not until this was accomplished did the friend know anything about it. It only seemed possible then to tell her the less important part of the tale. The moral seemed to be peculiarly the Scientist's, and it meant to her that our every effort should be given to realizing and declaring the true ideal of church, that presented on page 583 of Science and Health. Respecting this we may well recall the Master's words, "Let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil."

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

Guarding the Door

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access