Article January 22, 1916 Issue

Love at the Helm of Thought

SAMUEL GREENWOOD

The life of Christ Jesus exemplifies how impossible it would be correctly to state Christianity, the truth of man's relation to God and of man's duty to man, except in terms of Love. From the same necessity it is impossible fully to understand and practise the Master's teachings except as one possesses and obeys that divine inspiration. If it were possible wholly to separate a man from Love, his divine origin, if he could be deprived of his loving nature, his gentleness, compassion, and outflowing goodness, there would be nothing left, so far as he is concerned, to declare the existence of God, and such a man would be a nonentity.

On the other hand, the evils that oppress mankind, the existence of which in human thought made the coming of Christ Jesus necessary, can be stated only in terms that denote the lack of love. There is no phraseology intended to indicate the opposite of God's government which does not express the opposite of love. There is no other evil, and could be no other, than such a state of thought. Mortals have vainly striven to be satisfied without loving their neighbor. Kings, governments, and nations have tried leaving it out of their councils and enactments, and out of their dealings with other nations, but the experiment has always ended disastrously for themselves, and always must do so. No one has discovered, nor can any one discover, a substitute for the divinity of loving. No one has yet found that he can leave love out of his life without forfeiting its blessings. To shut love out of one's thoughts is to shut out all that lightens and happifies human experience, and to let in all that debauches and debases the consciousness of men.

"We have nothing to fear," Mrs. Eddy writes, "when Love is at the helm of thought, but everything to enjoy on earth and in heaven" (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 113). What statement so clearly and comprehensively sets forth the kingdom of heaven, and the means whereby to attain it? But little imagination is needed to picture the difference in world conditions today had Love been at the helm of the ships of state. The average person requires no strong fancy to see wherein his own experience would be vastly improved if Love were in control of all his thoughts. Nor does one need to be a prophet to foresee the immeasurable abundance of good which would bless mankind if humanity followed one but the course which Love points out.

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