Article May 3, 1919 Issue

Journeying to Damascus

SAMUEL C. ALLSOP

When Saul was on his way to Damascus he was probably convinced that he was doing God's service in his persecution of the early Christians. It is sometimes said that if we are honest in our religious convictions and try to live them, it does not matter of what religious cult we may be followers. Saul's conviction that he should breathe out "threatenings and slaughter" against the followers of Jesus or his disciples was suddenly changed, for we read in Acts that "suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: and he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" This great light was a revelation to him, for it revealed the fact that he was fighting against God instead of with Him. There is no such thing as honest error. For us to do right we must know right, and to know right we must understand Principle. Just here is where the greatest blessing of Christian Science is revealed, for it not only teaches us to do right, but how to think aright; and it necessarily follows that right action follows right thought. That which cannot be demonstrated as Godlike cannot be right or true. Saul, who was after his conversion called Paul, became one of the meekest as well as one of the strongest, most devoted followers of Christ Jesus.

The writer at one time had a great desire to do evangelical work, and had assisted in a number of revivals, endeavoring to warn, induce, or persuade his fellow men to "come over on the Lord's side," but such efforts had not the healing efficacy which the exhortations of Jesus always carried, and he frequently saw people who professed to be converted, drift back to their old habits of sinfulness and selfishness, proving that there had never been a real change of heart. Far beyond the human attempt to save is the mighty power of God as taught by Christ Jesus and revived in this age by Christian Science, destroying sin, disease, and death. On page 6 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy says: "Divine Love corrects and governs man. Men may pardon, but this divine Principle alone reforms the sinner." The reformation of Paul was so vital that his future career was truly, sublime in its results. The Scripture says that immediately after his conversion, "straightway he preached Christ ... that he is the Son of God."

The scribes and Pharisees and Sadducees were no longer Paul's friends, because the truth he uttered was far beyond their comprehension. Their ecclesiastical views and self-righteousness were set at naught by Paul. It was his complete surrender to the Christ, Truth, which gave him dominion and power over his adversaries and enabled him to exclaim triumphantly, "Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?" A lesson we can learn from Paul's journey to Damascus is this: That which we have outlined to do in our work had better be left undone if it in any way opposes or obscures the Christ-idea that we would reflect.

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