Article August 30, 1919 Issue

The Father Doeth the Works

EMMA J. HACKATHORN

There is always something wrong when our work in Christian Science assumes the dark aspect of a burden and presses heavily. On careful examination an error in thinking is discovered, and it is usually the one which persistently declares that we have a difficult problem to solve, or a great sense of fear to destroy for ourselves or another. Only as we remember the words of our Master, "I can of mine own self do nothing," will the weight of responsibility be lifted from us and left quietly in the hands of our Father.

The Scriptures state that "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all;" and in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 255) our beloved Leader says, "'Let there be light,' is the perpetual demand of Truth and Love, changing chaos into order and discord into the music of the spheres." How reassuring also is the voice of our loving Father speaking to His children through the prophet Isaiah: "I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them." It is plainly evident that nothing will destroy darkness except light; that in no way can we of ourselves destroy darkness. Yet that is just what we attempt to do when our work becomes a burden—we try to do it of ourselves.

On the walls of memory is a picture to which I often turn that I may recall that the Father "doeth the works." It is that of a little child who at the close of day has fallen asleep among his toys. While he is sleeping night comes on and suddenly he wakens to find the room is darkness. He is afraid. His fear causes him to imagine that there are hideous forms lurking near ready to spring, and crying aloud he beats frantically with his little hands to drive away the darkness. When quite beside himself from fear and effort, his mother comes in with a loving word and turns on the light,—and in that instant the darkness is gone. To his surprise he sees as he looks about that there is nothing at all to fear in the room; there are only things that he loves,—his toys close about his feet, the "music" daddy plays for him, and the pictures that mother has often told him about as he snuggled close in her arms. The coming of the light destroyed his fear and restored his happiness.

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