Article August 15, 1914 Issue

Passing of Evil

CHARLOTTE KENNARD

The symbols used by the writers of the Holy Scriptures are a never-failing source of enlightenment and of unfolding joy to the student of Christian Science. The only way by which we can "dwell in the house of the Lord" all the days of our life, so earnestly desired by the psalmist, is in persistently and perseveringly turning all our thoughts away from materiality, and letting God rule our every desire and aspiration, until what once seemed an effort, becomes so easy and natural that we do indeed dwell in the consciousness of divine Love,—"the house of the Lord." From this spiritual attainment goes forth the power which transforms all our seeming material obstacles and difficulties into nothingness.

Isaiah prophesied that the veil of materiality "spread over all nations" should be taken away, and students of Christian Science know that it is only a veil, a cloud, made dense or transparent by the thinking of mortals. Our beloved Leader plainly counsels us in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 290), "When thought dwells in God,—and it should not, to our consciousness, dwell elsewhere,—one must benefit those who hold a place in one's memory, whether it be friend or foe." When an inquirer into Christian Science was advised by the writer to make a practice of spiritualizing his thoughts, the query came, "How can I go through my daily material duties if I keep my thoughts elsewhere?" It was pointed out that by turning his mentality away from all that is unlike God, good, he would soon find that his "material" duties would be accomplished with greater ease, be controlled by an intelligence above the mortal, which he would reflect in the harmonious performance of a required service, until friction, discord, and all evil would fade from his experience.

Our constant prayer for increased spiritual understanding may be thus phrased: "Open to me the gates of righteousness." In his first epistle, the beloved disciple tells us that Christ Jesus "came by water and blood." As water is a symbol of purity, and Mrs. Eddy tells us in Science and Health (p. 25) that "the spiritual essence of blood is sacrifice," we can realize that the only way by which we enter into "the gates" is by a purified consciousness, and by taking up the cross, being ready to sacrifice all material hindrances to the advancement of the kingdom within. The gospel illus tration of Jesus driving out of his Father's house all unhallowed forces of commercialism is an important lesson to us, showing that only as we entertain material beliefs do we experience discord, and that they must all be driven out.

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