Article July 20, 1918 Issue

Gratitude

KATHRINE JONES

God's love for us cannot be measured. The human heart is overwhelmed by the shining of the divine glory when it glimpses for a moment the treasures that Love has prepared for Love's children. Beauty, color, joy, and happy activity are the rightful heritage of the sons of God. We are not truly grateful until we realize this,—until, in the farthest reaches of our thought, in the deepest secret places of our life, we find only contentment and peace. There is no shadow over the child of God. He is created by Love, sustained by Love, guided by Love, and enjoys the revelation of the Christ. He never lacks any good thing, and he is never unhappy, for he is conscious each moment of the presence of Love.

This vision of supreme good, which comes to us in rare moments, must become, eventually, the habitual consciousness of the Christian Scientist, and there is no greater help along the way than that which comes from a constantly cultivated sense of gratitude. First of all, as we pray that we may grow into a continuously grateful and joyous quality of thought, let us define our attitude as Christian Scientists. Which do we want, the world, or Christ? If it be Christ, then we must realize clearly at the outset that our growing conception of the Christ-idea will compel us to pluck out the right eye and cut off the right hand if they offend. The law of Truth, which tolerates nothing but absolute cleanness of thought and purity of desire, will declare itself so clearly and completely to us that we shall have no choice but to obey its holy commands. We shall be obliged to choose again and again the giving up of sinful pleasures, the abandonment of hidden, material indulgences, the forgiveness of injuries, the blotting out of hate. If, however, we really want Christ, even "Christ crucified," though we suffer in the process of overcoming self, we shall gain, little by little, through encouraging and reassuring experiences, the consciousness of the kingdom of heaven.

In the working out of our salvation we often feel that if we could have a different environment, a great deal more money, congenial work, and robust health, we should quickly become excellent Christian Scientists. At this point we need to cultivate and use a scientific understanding of meekness and gratitude. We must boldly reverse the evidence of the senses, and learn to dwell in the understanding that man's environment is perfect, because man is always with God. As ideas of infinite Mind, "we live, and move, and have our being" in harmonious Mind. Spiritual man's environment is beautiful, and he can say in his heart, "Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined."

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