Article July 5, 1919 Issue

Environment

KATHRINE JONES

"Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart." These verses from a psalm of David define spiritual environment and characterize the mental qualities of him who dwells therein.

The beginner in Christian Science, bewildered possibly at the seeming utter disconnection between the heavenly consciousness of home and his own unhappy surroundings, not knowing, perhaps, just how to go about his mental work, and groping anxiously for a correct metaphysical attitude, may be relieved to know that he may safely apply that which brings healing to any situation,—a little tenderness and love. No metaphysical work can be accomplished while hate and rebellion remain in the heart. Discordant surroundings, uncongenial persons, monotonous occupations, cannot be transformed by condemnation. But by daily turning away from the false testimony of material sense to the sweetness and gentleness and illumination of Love, false concepts concerning home, companions, and work are healed.

Beauty, color, symmetry, harmony, order, purity, fragrance, peace, are some of the qualities necessary for producing a beautiful environment, and these are essentially qualities of Mind, free to all, "without money and without price." On page 247 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy writes, "Beauty is a thing of life, which dwells forever in the eternal Mind and reflects the charms of His goodness in expression, form, outline, and color." As thought becomes identified with good qualities, environment becomes harmonious. The humblest home can be made to glow and shine if one will work for it, and not against it. Even inanimate objects need not be despised. What, after all, have our floors and walls and beds and chairs ever done but serve us? A room is purely an expression of thought, and responds like a plant to care and interest and effort.

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