Article April 27, 1918 Issue

Joy

ISABEL BLACKBURN

On page 304 of Science and Health Mrs. Eddy says, "Joy cannot be turned into sorrow, for sorrow is not the master of joy," and the writer has had wonderful proof of the great truth of this passage. While we are living in material sense, joy is indeed a trembler, vanishing with the first appearance of sorrow, but when we learn a little of the truth as taught in Christian Science we see that we never had the right concept of joy when we thought of it as something evanescent.

The writer's life from childhood up was full of what she thought was joy and happiness, until she had an experience which she shares with thousands of others in the world today. A dear one passed from sight on the battle field in France. This trying experience utterly wiped out her material hopes and pleasures, and all she could see before her seemed long, dark years of loneliness. Through her very slight knowledge of Christian Science, however, a still, small voice found its way through the sound of mourning, telling that there were joys to be found which she yet knew not. On page 265 of Science and Health we read, "Who that has felt the loss of human peace has not gained stronger desires for spiritual joy?" So, heeding this admonition, she kept on searching for that higher joy, and step by step, through a diligent study of Christian Science, she has most assuredly found what she sought,—not the joy that is turned to sadness by any material conditions, not the joy that is dependent on person, place, or thing, for that cannot be joy; but the true joy of an ever increasing knowledge of our Father-Mother God, who is Love.

She has learned the truth of our Leader's words on page 386 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures": "When our friends pass from our sight and we lament, that lamentation is needless and causeless. We shall perceive this to be true when we grow into the understanding of Life, and know that there is no death."

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April 27, 1918
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