Article February 1, 1919 Issue

Environment

JOHN M. DEAN

The tendency of the human mind is to put effect before cause, thus showing the inconsistency of this counterfeit mentality. The question of environment strikingly illustrates this mortal failing. It is generally believed that environment largely, if not wholly, shapes the destinies of men, but Christian Science is destroying this erroneous theory by bringing to light the opposite fact that in reality men make their own environment. Individuals seek their level just as truly as does water. Since the author, or source, of man's being is God, Spirit, the natural gravitation of the real man must be Spiritward. The difficulty is that mankind are forever mistaking abnormality for normality, and vice versa. Thus came about Job's very natural conclusion regarding the mortal sense of life, "Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward." So long as men think of themselves as mortal in origin, mortality must be their destiny. The believer must ever be on a level with his beliefs. We shall realize man's essential spiritual nature only as material beliefs yield to spiritual understanding.

Those who are ready for Christian Science cannot be kept away from it. One who is attuned to the purity of spiritual teachings will be drawn in that direction as unerringly as iron is drawn to the magnet. It matters not where his home may be, or whether or not he ever heard of Christian Science, the yearning of such a one will not go unrewarded. The truths of Christian Science are equally operative everywhere. This fact needs only to be recognized, and to one who is receptive this recognition may come at the uttermost parts of the earth as readily as to another who lives within the shadow of The Mother Church. "Love," says Mrs. Eddy in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 13), "is, impartial and universal in its adaptation and bestowals." Neither religion nor health is at the mercy of climate or geographical location. It has become the fashion with our medical friends, when all other material means have failed, to recommend a trip to the maountains or the seashore in order to bring about a change in the surroundings of the patient; and yet we are told from every Christian pulpit that God is everywhere. If this is true,—and it certainly is an essential teaching of Scripture,—why does a man have to move from place to place in search of health and happiness? Is it not because men are trusting altitude, or sea breezes, or mineral waters, or personality, more than they trust God?

The search for health and happiness is prompted by a longing for harmony, and perfect harmony is but another name for heaven. Christ Jesus bears out this definition in his words, "Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." It is well to learn that what are called local conditions cannot affect a man one whit more than he permits himself to be affected, and this is true whether such local conditions appear on the so-called physical plane or on the spiritual plane. No condition can interfere with the operation of Truth when we are ready for it, and to attempt to escape something unpleasant by running away from it indicates a quality of fear which invites an ultimate evil greater than the one left behind. In Science and Health (p. 419) Mrs. Eddy tells us to "meet every adverse circumstance as its master," and should it become best for one to make a change in any direction, the demonstration will not be forced but will come about naturally and normally, because scientifically.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

The Christian Science Monitor