Editorial March 4, 1916 Issue

Our "high goal"

Annie M. Knott

We can never afford to lose sight of the goal, which is spiritual perfection, and which we can never reach until we are willing to take all the steps demanded by wisdom and Love, though these call for constant self-denial, as our Master taught. The mortal sense rebels against every demand for self-denial, and would even claim that it has no place in Christian Science; but a careful study of our Leader's writings, with the aid of their concordances, will show the utter mistake of such an opinion. Mortal sense refuses to take the indispensable "human footsteps leading to perfection" (Science and Health, p. 254). In this mood it loses sight of the real intent of our Master's counsel to take no thought for the morrow, and with reckless disregard of its own best interests, as well as of the rights of others, it says like the Epicureans of old, "Let us eat and drink."

The truth is that if we have the high goal of spiritual living ever in view, we shall not be tempted either to indulge the senses or to give loose rein to pride and vanity that we may appear well to men. It should never be forgotten that self-denial on the material side leads to expansion on the spiritual side, and this alone represents reality. It is also true that a right sense of economy forestalls the need of taking thought for the morrow, and if we love our neighbor too well to owe him anything, this mental attitude will be an unceasing defense against the tendency of the thoughtless or the unjust to deprive us of our rights, but we must ourselves be honest if we would prosper. Let no one suppose for a moment that the vision of the "high goal" means little or nothing in the working out of today's problem. It means everything, but the goal itself must not be lost to view in the intervening mists of desire for merely temporal things.

A young girl was once crossing a broad and swiftly flowing river on an improvised bridge of planks, which served a need while the permanent structure was in course of erection. She was bidden to keep the opposite shore ever in view and to place her feet firmly on the narrow pathway leading thereto. All went well until she neared the middle of the stream, when she looked aside at the foaming rapids and became so terrified that she would have fallen, as others had done, except that, happily for her, a workman who was just ahead heard her cry of fear. Quickly he caught hold of her arm, at the same time bidding her look up and away to the shore, for not otherwise could even he have helped her across. The kind voice was heard above the rush of the waters, and in due season the goal was reached.

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