Editorial March 31, 1917 Issue

Spiritual Preparedness

Archibald McLellan

During the past two or three years the word "preparedness" has become very familiar to us, and today it is on every tongue. Not only is it used to describe what is regarded as the ideal condition of physical readiness, through military means, to repel aggression and safeguard national rights and personal liberty, but it is also used to express more peaceful and more spiritual forms of readiness in all that promises better conditions in human affairs. In this latter sense the word should be and is of particular significance to Christian Scientists, because they have learned by experience that only through such hungering and thirsting after righteousness as our Master referred to in the fourth beatitude, and such prayer without ceasing as Paul commended to the Thessalonians, can they be prepared to withstand the fiery darts of evil and prove that God, good, is ever present and omnipotent.

Mrs. Eddy writes on page 450 of Science and Health: "The Christian Scientist has enlisted to lessen evil, disease, and death; and he will overcome them by understanding their nothingness and the allness of God, or good. Sickness to him is no less a temptation than is sin, and he heals them both by understanding God's power over them. The Christian Scientist knows that they are errors of belief, which Truth can and will destroy." In this saying Mrs. Eddy has called her followers to a state of spiritual preparedness just as surely as an inherently peaceful and peace loving nation is now called to physical preparedness. Fortunately for Christian Scientists the means for ensuring spiritual preparedness are always at hand through the study of the Bible and Science and Health.

As pointing to the means by which these teachings are to be understood, Mrs. Eddy has written: "Study thoroughly the letter and imbibe the spirit. Adhere to the divine Principle of Christian Science and follow the behests of God, abiding steadfastly in wisdom, Truth, and Love" (Science and Health, p. 495). She has also devoted an entire chapter of Science and Health to the subject of Teaching Christian Science, and ten pages of the Church Manual to the rules under which this teaching shall be carried forward. All these rules have for their basis the importance of this teaching, and in Section 5 of Article XXVII it is said that "no member of this Church shall advise against class instruction." At the same time it is to be noted that none of the by-laws of The Mother Church discriminate against those members who have not had class instruction, it being assumed that all members are earnestly and intelligently using Science and Health and the other writings of our Leader in connection with their study of the Scriptures.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Editorial

Jerusalem Old and New