Editorial August 26, 1916 Issue

"Human footsteps"

William D. McCrackan

ON page 253 of Science and Health Mrs. Eddy writes, "The divine demand, 'Be ye therefore perfect,' is scientific, and the human footsteps leading to perfection are indispensable." Christian Scientists ought to be able to speak in terms of absolute truth, or of human experience, without being misunderstood or having the two confounded the one with the other. Absolute truth alone is real and indestructible ; human experience, unless guided by the divine, slumbers in the dream of unreality, in that which seemeth to be and is not. In Science man is perfect, but according to mortal verdict he appears to be a thing of a few days, the helpless victim of material beliefs. Rightly understood, man is the idea of divine Mind, manifesting the qualities of God ; falsely considered, he is the product of an original liar and is himself a lie. Mrs. Eddy counsels us, "When needed tell the truth concerning the lie" (Science and Health, p. 448). The present would seem to be an excellent time for telling as much of this truth as the age can hear.

In ordinary conversation the word persons is used to signify an individual human being. It is so defined in Webster's dictionary. Dogmatic theology has used the word person to designate God, and Mrs. Eddy has been willing to apply this word to Deity when it is capitalized. She has, however, generally added the adjective infinite, thus defining God as infinite Person. Now the person or human being of ordinary conversation needs to be saved, to be delivered from personal sense, from the dream of unreality, and transformed into the substantial likeness of God's man. This can only be accomplished by the coming of Christ, Truth, to human apprehension ; and so salvation involves the necessity for taking "human footsteps."

When the vision of the Christ first comes to the individual, the refulgence is frequently so glorious that the transformation seems immediately complete ; but tests and trials soon reveal the necessity for human endeavor, in order to consolidate every gain as it is made. Mrs. Eddy was not too proud to take these footsteps herself. They are definitely recorded in her human history and in her achievements. Christian Scientists can well afford to follow her example as closely as possible. Every great reformer, every personal revelator, has been willing to take the necessary steps to bring a particular reform or revelation to human apprehension. Jesus, the God-anointed, did not disdain the baptism of John, or the payment of tribute to Caesar, or the trial on the cross. How else can humanity be saved except by passing under divine guidance through the ordeal of temptation and false suggestion?

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