Article March 4, 1916 Issue

Loving Service

CLARENCE W. CHADWICK

Since "love is the fulfilling of the law," the highest service known to man is the exemplification of his unity with God, the giving of practical proof of his relationship to divine Love, else the eternal unity of God and man will not become a practical and tangible reality to humanity. God has a way of expressing Himself to His children, and Christian Science makes clear to us the modus of this expression. It tells us plainly that Love is reflected only through loving thoughts and deeds, not through their opposites, and since the highest possible goal to be reached is that of spiritual perfection, the highest possible service will be that which fulfils the law of perfection, which is the law of Love. The beloved John, were he with us today, would no doubt repeat to us what he was credited with saying while on earth: "Little children, love one another."

If all Christian Scientists would realize as did the great apostle that there is no human substitute for the demonstration of divine Love either in time or eternity, the prosperity of our cause would know no bounds. To lose sight of Love is to lose sight of healing; and without healing the church of Christ has no adequate foundation to stand on. Without Christian healing there is no Christian unity, no true fraternalism, no accurate or scientific knowledge, no right mental activity. Our service in behalf of humanity will avail little until we learn to demonstrate the love which we profess. An active servant in the Father's vineyard is one who opens wide the door of consciousness to receive the Christ-idea of infinite Love, and who strives with a whole heart to apply the power of love in the overcoming of hate. This demands unceasing watchfulness lest wrong thoughts crowd into consciousness and obscure the Christ-image. It is not an easy matter to do this, but it is a labor of love and the highest service.

Centuries have passed since the utterance of those memorable words, "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love," and yet there are comparatively few who have grasped their scientific meaning. Equally true is it that he who loveth not knoweth not man, for man is the expression of divine Love. Christian Science teaches: "Love God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole of man in His image and likeness" (Science and Health, p. 340). This certainly conveys the thought of mental activity, since there could not possibly be any conscious love for or understanding of God without such an activity. Consciousness always expresses life and action. Stagnation and inaction are unknown quantities in the divine consciousness. Man, then, being the expression of infinite Mind or divine Love, is that right mental activity which forever expresses the nature of God. He is not a listless, indifferent, apathetic, or inactive image floating in an invisible ether; he is the conscious, ever active manifestation of ever present Love. Only through spiritual understanding are we able to see this man who is forever inseparable from Love, and to gain a true concept of service or obedience.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

Loving Service

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access