Article May 26, 1917 Issue

Thought Enlightened

S. KING RUSSELL

In a day and age in which the power of thought is becoming more and more universally recognized, it is difficult to realize that it was not always so. In reality the perfection of sinless thought has always existed; but, as Mrs. Eddy tells us, "human capacity is slow to discern and to grasp God's creation and the divine power and presence which go with it" (Science and Health, p. 519). The history of mortal man is the record of human adjustment to conditions, the submission of erring human thought step by step to an improved thought, as the war between the power of good and the so-called forces of evil goes on. That this adjustment is often painful, is shown by the toll of woe and death in the conflict of erring human beliefs.

From the first triumph of thought, when the weaker caveman conceived of a crude weapon as a means of defense against his enemy armed with brute force, the steady unfoldment of human consciousness may be traced in any line of endeavor. The Greek historians tell us that Ulysses, surnamed the crafty, and many other wise men of his time, were looked up to by the populace because "they could accomplish things by thinking." Their superior knowledge put them on a plane above that of their fellow men. The Indian medicine man, holding the position of honor in his tribe because of what was believed to be his superior wisdom, is a more modern example.

But this thinking, superior as it seemed, lay in part or wholly on a mortal plane. Tainted by material philosophies and the false education of the carnal mind, it could not transcend the finite sense of existence. Its attempted use as a means of both good and evil necessarily deprived it of the peace and perfection it ever sought to attain. The search for wisdom was fruitless, because men looked not within their own hearts. Pilate's question to the great Nazarene, "What is truth?" was a confession of the utter emptiness of the old faiths, which with all their wealth of ritual could never lead humanity to God. And Jesus' answer to this great question was the life he taught and lived, the irrefutable proof he gave of man's unity with his Maker.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

Thought Enlightened

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access