Editorial May 25, 1918 Issue

On the Topmost Bough

William D. McCrackan

When the storms shake the vineyards and the olive trees, only the most tenacious fruit maintains its hold. When the harvesters gather the grapes and shake the olive branches, only the hidden clusters and the berries on the topmost boughs or the farthest out of reach remain. When mental storms shake humanity, only those qualities which are farthest from the earth and the supposedly solid matter of trunk and branch keep their places. The carnal mind, satiated with its fury, finds these incomprehensible qualities too distant for its grasp. The effort to bring them down would be unprofitable, it argues. In this way the choice products of tree and vine, the oil and wine, may be saved from the destructive passions of the devourer. Isaiah prophesying punishment for Israel's idolatry declared, "Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, saith the Lord God of Israel."

Present day world conditions are similar to those described by Isaiah with reference to Israel. The idolatry of to-day takes a different form in appearance but remains the same in essence. It is the belief in the power of matter rather than Spirit, bringing forth its own destruction. The belief of life in matter, mind in matter, sensation in matter, virtually sets up images of wood and stone and metal to be worshiped, and to them the flesh is sacrificed. Though the names of Baal, Moloch, or Vishnu may not be in use, the idolatry of matter continues under other names. Indeed, the worship of the more attenuated forms of matter in human will power and so-called human intelligence has reached the very zenith of evil to-day and is ready for destruction. Under these circumstances the spiritually minded are like the berries "in the top of the uppermost bough" and "in the outmost fruitful branches." They are beyond the reach of the marauder, safe from the stones and staves of the destroyer.

For what shall save at this but the Science of Christianity? Tradition, dogma and doctrine, scholasticism and ceremonials, have no saving grace in and of themselves to withstand the storm; they fall to the ground and are heard of no more. A theoretical Christianity cannot weather malignant gusts of hate propelled by hypnotic will power. The accumulated learning of the ages shrivels before the blasts of greed and revenge. Nothing less than a demonstrable religion can breast the hurricane; but this is already at hand firmly founded by its Discoverer, Mary Baker Eddy. Christian Science does not fall before the storm, for it is based upon the spiritual understanding of God, man, and the universe. The supposititious forces of evil do not take it by surprise, for all of evil has already been uncovered by the spiritual searchlight which it throws upon men and things. The Scriptures spiritually interpreted describe present day conditions and point to the inevitable restoration of Israel purged of its idolatry. The Christian Scientist who has followed the law of progress has risen above the blackness of the old world, leans no longer on the broken reeds of physiology and so-called physical science, of materialized religion, formalism, superstition, and fanaticism, and is found safe and sound "in the top of the uppermost bough," and "in the outmost fruitful branches."

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