Editorial October 12, 1918 Issue

With the Whole Heart

William D. McCrackan

The common saying, "Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well," expresses a spiritual truth. Enthusiasm, zeal, and right impulse are all in place when governed by Mind; they are necessary attributes of true consecration. Without them spiritual progress is slow and painful, making a long night for the traveler. Unless spiritual tasks are performed with the whole heart they sink to the level of drudgery. Mere duty gives cold comfort, whereas the hearty performance of services blesses all. The psalmist declared: "I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works."

Whole-heartedness is scientifically based on the understanding that good is worth working for. Mere optimism which proceeds from a disinclination to destroy evil is shortlived, but the happiness which comes from knowing God is everlasting. All of His works are marvelous, for all that He has made is good, and His creation is complete. Can any conviction bring greater heartiness to the Christian Science worker than this understanding? Let all men praise God for all His works, with a heart full of love. Sense testimony argues the reverse; it points to suffering and sin, accident, failure, conflict, shock, treachery, the fury of animalism, and other manifestations of the carnal mind, and asks mockingly, Where is this vaunted goodness? The Christian Scientist has his ever ready answer in the teaching and practice of his faith. Evil is illusion; material evidence, derived from the fundamental falsehood of original sin, is not true; neither law nor necessity supports any of the phenomena of the supposititious mind which seeks to defy Deity. In the history of real being there is no record of disease or discord, of pain or decay, of loss or fear. The whole heart of God's creation is sound, indestructible, loving, and obedient to Principle as Love. There is no hard-heartedness there. God's creation is mellow, and flexible with divine activity. The light of intelligence and the radiance of spiritual substance shine forth in the harmony of perfection.

In expostulating with Judah for her disobedience, Isaiah exclaimed: "Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint." Mrs. Eddy gave the cure for that which makes "the whole heart faint" in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 219): "In mathematics, we do not multiply when we should subtract, and then say the product is correct. No more can we say in Science that muscles give strength, that nerves give pain or pleasure, or that matter governs, and then expect that the result will be harmony. Not muscles, nerves, nor bones, but mortal mind makes the whole body 'sick and the whole heart faint;' whereas divine Mind heals." Mankind must stop arguing from false premises, in order that it may be delivered from the suggestions of evil. There is no causation apart from God. If human thought is permitted to dwell on the horrors of criminality it becomes imbued with crime, but when divine Science is accepted the whole heart rejoices.

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