Editorial August 24, 1918 Issue

Discernment and Judgment

Annie M. Knott

As students of Christian Science we rejoice in knowing the allness of God, good,—the ever presence and all-power of Truth and Love. This is really the rock of ages upon which we may rest secure; but it remains with us to prove this truth in all we think, and say, and do. On page 215 of "Miscellaneous Writings" Mrs. Eddy says: "My students are at the beginning of their demonstration; they have a long warfare with error in themselves and in others to finish, and they must at this stage use the sword of Spirit." In referring to Christ Jesus she adds: "If you would follow in his footsteps, you must not try to gather the harvest while the corn is in the blade, nor yet when it is in the ear; a wise spiritual discernment must be used in your application of his words and inference from his acts, to guide your own state of combat with error." At all stages of our progress, but perhaps especially at the present time, this wise spiritual discernment is needed, for without it we are apt to plead for a false sort of peace and to miss the application of the "righteous judgment" which the Master insisted upon.

Those outside of Christian Science sometimes mistakenly suppose that because the nothingness of error is insisted upon, there is therefore no particular moral standard to be observed, but nothing could be farther from the fact. It is, therefore, highly important that Christian Scientists not only express themselves clearly when speaking upon any human problem, but that they also give evidence in their lives of keen discernment of the demands of Truth and a righteous judgment which is satisfied with nothing less than absolute obedience to the requirements of Principle. When the Christian Scientist speaks charitably of anyone, he does not by any means imply that whatever the individual's conduct may be he is all right anyway; but he does know that man as expressing the divine idea obeys God's law because he loves it and sees that anything short of this obedience can never bring harmony to the individual or to mankind.

In the third chapter of Malachi are some of the most important statements to be found in all of the Old Testament prophecy. The uncovering of sorcery, impurity, and injustice of every sort is declared in the strongest terms, and this is followed by the demand that we bring "all the tithes into the storehouse." Until this uncovering comes we none of us know how to render unto God, divine Principle, all that belongs to God, and so we miss the divine outpouring of blessing, which is so great "that there shall not be room enough to receive it." If we are ever tempted to doubt the immediateness of the divine judgment, we only need to turn to the statement in this third chapter of Malachi that God will be "a swift witness" against all evil doers; and then we are further told that He will "rebuke the devourer" to such an extent that even the fruits of the ground will be divinely protected. Here we must never forget to guard against the darkening effect of murmuring and complaining, for this is to blame God for the discords of mortal experience.

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