Article May 18, 1918 Issue

Preparedness

ADAM H. DICKEY

A great deal is being said nowadays about preparedness. Books are written, articles appear in magazines and newspapers, lectures are delivered, and speeches made, all for the purpose of informing us how to prepare to meet evil in some form or other; but notwithstanding all this, few of us seem to realize just what preparedness means. It does not mean alone the act of laying up wealth for a time of depression; it does not consist entirely in providing a lot of men and munitions, ships-of-war, armies and their accouterments. At present these things are all quite necessary, but they do not of themselves constitute all there is to preparedness. It is in knowing how to think rightly that true preparedness consists. It is the man who has ideas who is prepared to meet the foe. Paul says, "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God [through Mind] to the pulling down of strong holds." The weapons of Mind are thoughts, not things. Strategy is an idea; Napoleon is credited with saying that he had known an idea to defeat a great army. Let it be understood that it is the idea which accomplishes the result, and not the weapons that are used. Weapons without the knowledge of how to use them are useless, whereas the right idea will produce its own weapons and use them to the best advantage.

Throughout the Bible the idea of preparedness stands out among the experiences of the people of God as a warning to us of this day that we should be prepared to meet the enemy, but we must first understand what the enemy is before we undertake to destroy it. Paul says, "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Our enemy then is not flesh and blood; it is not people; it is not nationalities; it is that belief of evil in human thought which in its efforts to destroy the divine idea of liberty and freedom would "wade through slaughter to a throne, and shut the gates of mercy on mankind." The Christian Scientist sees the foe in ambush and is prepared to wrest from it its temporary usurpation of power. But unless we are prepared to meet the invader in a scientific way, our efforts are of no avail.

God called upon Noah to build the ark because Noah knew how to do it and was ready to do the work when called upon. Abraham came out from among his people and became the father of a great race, because he was ready when the call came. Had Abraham not been prepared, God could never have intrusted him with this important work, and the history of Israel as we have it to-day would not have been written.

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