Editorial June 30, 1917 Issue

Inspiration of Woman

William D. McCrackan

When Goethe in the Chorus Mysticus of his Faust Epilogue penned the words Das Ewig-Weibliche zieht uns hinan (the eternal womanly draweth us on, or upward), he reached the zenith of his career and that of his race. Had the world been ready to maintain this elevation of the true concept of woman it need not have lapsed back into male domination or into world war. But Goethe's momentary illumination was not founded upon the rock of spiritual understanding, and so it faded, and a woman discovered and founded the Science which has placed "the eternal womanly" in the ascendant, never again to descend into subjection. Mrs. Eddy has pointed out on page 508 of Science and Health that "the Mind or intelligence of production names the female gender last in the ascending order of creation. The intelligent individual idea, be it male or female, rising from the lesser to the greater, unfolds the infinitude of Love."

What the world needs today beyond everything is the inspiration and spiritual intuition of woman, expressed in man. This inspiration cannot be kept under and suppressed any more than you can suppress the sunshine. Pressed by war the nations are today willing to admit woman to the plow, into the ammunition factory and to the driver's seat; tomorrow they will clamor, not so much for her work as for her inspiration in their council chambers,—for her spiritual intuition, which divinely guided makes harmless the venomous serpent. Woman's hour is man's hour. Free men do not begrudge the rise of free women, although autocrats and hierarchs and their complementary bondwomen read the handwriting on the wall and sullenly await their doom. The bondwoman who insists upon man's imcompleteness creates a male tyrant for herself and places the whip in his hand. This perversion of the highest likes to suffer and wishes others to do likewise. It ends by finding pleasure in misery and cruelty, and intoxicated by the interplay of the carnal mind upon human affairs finally assumes the role of betraying others in order to benefit self.

The early Christian movement, though founded upon a man's teaching and practice of truth, drew largely upon woman for protection and encouragement and for that divine compassion without which neither the sinner can be saved nor the sick healed. The faithful Marys were indispensable to Jesus' earthly career and to his demonstration of victory over death. Paul, who by previous training was doubtless little inclined to appreciate the importance of woman's influence, gives special mention to a number of women workers in his epistles. The writers of the Bible had no hesitation in exposing the methods of the bondwoman, but they were duly appreciative of the value of the free woman. With touching respect the beloved disciple writes his second epistle to a certain "elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth."

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