Article August 16, 1919 Issue

Charity

KATE C. CLEVELAND

"Work out your own salvation." The value our Leader places on these words is shown by the number of times she refers to them in the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." On page 443 she says that she "feels, as she always has felt, that all are privileged to work out their own salvation according to their light, and that our motto should be the Master's counsel, 'Judge not, that ye be not judged.' " If we are obedient to this counsel we shall keep our hands off our fellow traveler and let him take each step as he sees it, giving loving assistance when asked, but not a push of criticism when his step is not what we think it should be, nor a pull of impatience when the progress is not so rapid as we think possible.

Our Leader warns us of having to retrace our footsteps, and she also says (Science and Health, p. 542), "Justice marks the sinner, and teaches mortals not to remove the waymarks of God." Is it not by these very waymarks that we know how we are progressing in the path? We often find ourselves criticizing another fellow being for what he is doing or not doing, when that very person may be walking, far beyond our sight, with bleeding footsteps which are leading him closer to the throne of God because of his greater effort. The advice to be "wise as serpents, and harmless as doves" appears every day more important to those who are studying Christian Science, and demands of us constraint obedience to our Leader's teaching. In the Wednesday evening meetings periods of silence sometimes occur which are not desirable, for our meetings are feasts to which we invite the public. But are we going to help matters by thoughts of criticism toward this one or that one who has remained seated for so many weeks?

Destructive criticism will not bring freedom to our meetings, but the healing effect of love will; and so, instead of being busy about our brother's affairs, shall we not keep closer watch over our own thoughts, locking the doors against criticism in whatever attire and opening them wide to love, that those hungering for the truth may "go in and out, and find pasture"? Then shall we find no one keeping his seat at our Wednesday evening meetings because he lacks helpful testimony to give or beautiful language in which to give it utterance. Paul said, "And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God." Let us be true to our sixth tenet, "And we solemnly promise to watch, and pray for that Mind to be in us which was also in Christ Jesus; to do unto others as we would have them do unto us; and to be merciful, just, and pure" (Science and Health, p. 497). This will enable us to reflect the divine Love which "casteth out fear."

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