Kindly Affection Triumphant

William P. McKenzie

How interesting is the tribute to the life and work of Jesus of Nazareth given by Mrs. Eddy when she says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 54): "Through the magnitude of his human life, he demonstrated the divine Life. Out of the amplitude of his pure affection, he defined Love. With the affluence of Truth, he vanquished error." Here is brought to light not only healing to renew life but all the gospel message, the gladness of divine Love, and the comfort of justice.

Some one made a remark concerning well-known philosophical writings, that "all of Emerson will not cure a headache." One might likewise say that all of Carlyle might fail to reveal peace for the heart; also that one might know the laws of Solon and not understand self-government, and have acquaintance with the proverbs of Solomon and not know wisdom. It was the one known spiritually as "great David's greater son"—of the lineage of faithful Ruth the gleaner, as well as of David the king—who came to reveal healing and peace, to declare the joy of obedience to God and the blessedness of heavenly wisdom. To revive healing, to renew peace, making practical the Christianity which had become doctrinal, to establish demonstration according to Principle, and develop present understanding of heavenly things, instead of maintaining tradition and memory of the past, was and is the mission of Christian Science.

Memory in mortal mind works ill because it records and retains what it knows of evil. In a feud each side makes a record of wrongs whereby to revive hatred and fan the heat of resentment. A feudist on his gunstock will tally the number of the slain of the opposing clan and make occasion for self-magnification out of murder; but if one prays as a Christian to one Father he admits a bond of brotherhood with all mankind, and of every killing by secrecy and stealth it can be said:—

"It hath the primal eldest curse upon't,
A brother's murder."

Kindly affection keeps no tally of evil things done, nor casts up any account of slights, discrepancies, neglects, or failures. Christian love "suffereth long, and is kind; ... thinketh no evil." This love is not glad when others go wrong, because it can only be glad in goodness. Consequently it keeps no dossier of the mistakes of others, not desiring to vaunt itself as having superior goodness, but simply desiring that goodness may bring blessing to all.

The recording of error, backed by hateful determination to make it real and to prevent reform by shackling a man to the error he would forsake, is just the opposite of the healing work of Christian Science. The true practitioner begins by recognition of good as reality and of man as the child of God. He is without envy, malice, or ill will, consequently has no ability to pervert judgment as the evil minded do; therefore he judges righteously, and metaphysically sets free from his oppressors the man longing to be set free from the claims of evil. The Christian Scientist is the true liberator, and as the work goes on a larger and larger host of those benefited are giving thanks to God and enlarging the happiness of the worker because their gratitude impels them to engage in the work of healing.

There is a story that the children never weary of hearing, perhaps because it shows the triumph of brotherly affection. Joseph seems to have been singularly frank with his brothers, quite unsuspicious of their jealousy. They were ready to kill him, and did sell him into slavery, and yet when the divine purpose was revealed he became their savior from famine, and in returning good for evil put evil and hatred quite out of countenance; hence we have the definition in our textbook (p. 589): "Joseph. A corporeal mortal; a higher sense of Truth rebuking mortal belief, or error, and showing the immortality and supremacy of Truth; pure affection blessing its enemies."

The workers in this great movement are more and more learning to make demonstrations after the manner of Joseph. When a man can meet another who has injured him beyond human ability to forget and forgive, and yet through divine inspiration and the comfort of the heavenly Father's love he can forgive and forget and love on, with sincere affection continuing kindly services and such attitude as will heal, an illustration is certainly given of Christlike affection. That such demonstration shall be made for the welfare of humanity by increasing numbers of workers is quite evidently expected by Mrs. Eddy, for in her letter to the Board of Lectureship (Miscellany, p. 248) she said: "You are not setting up to be great; you are here for the purpose of grasping and defining the demonstrable, the eternal. Spiritual heroes and prophets are they whose new-old birthright is to put an end to falsities in a wise way and to proclaim Truth so winningly that an honest, fervid affection for the race is found adequate for the emancipation of the race."

William P. McKenzie.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit