Article May 31, 1919 Issue

If there is one particular lesson which the world needs...

The Christian Science Monitor

If there is one particular lesson which the world needs to learn, perhaps more than any other, it is that hatred and resentment cannot be indulged by anyone without the penalty therefor being paid. Mankind, for a very obvious reason, has been most lenient with itself on this score, and in some instances of spiritual ignorance, hatred has been looked upon and even recommended as if there were actually something of good in it. However, "ignorance of the law excuses no one." Mrs. Eddy has much to say on the subject of hatred that is pointedly interesting. On page 12 of "Miscellaneous Writings" we read: "Hate no one; for hatred is a plague-spot that spreads its virus and kills at last. If indulged, it masters us; brings suffering upon suffering to its possessor, throughout time and beyond the grave."

Severe warnings against hatred seem necessary to awaken humanity to find the way out of it. That there is a way out, however,—a sure way, the way of divine Principle,—Christian Science has come to show. Hatred is always an expression of carnal, unreal, mortal mind—nothing more. In its unreality lies the avenue of mankind's escape from the belief in it. Only so long as hatred is believed in as a reality and indulged, will men suffer from its effects; and to know this, with the assurance that Christian Science gives, puts a man on his feet and enables him to help himself and others out of the falsity of this and other unreal beliefs.

Now the principal concomitant of hatred is fear. Hatred and fear have been close associates ever since mankind claimed to have a history. One has but to remember the story of Cain, overcome first by hate and then by fear, to see how true this is. Of course it is easy to see why hatred and fear should be more or less dependent upon each other. Does not, for instance, John, the beloved disciple, tell us that "perfect love casteth out fear"? Then if love casts out fear, would it not be logical to assume that it is the opposite of love, or hatred, that brings fear into our experience? Was not the perfect Love made manifest by Christ Jesus the basis of his fearlessness? Do we not follow Cain's example, and succumb to fear because we have first allowed the more agreeable and subtle mesmerism of hatred and resentment to master us? We are accustomed to resist fear more or less, but anger is even yet classified by many as a possible necessity to righteousness. Thus hatred or anger may easily appeal to us without our awakening to their true nature.

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