Article September 27, 1919 Issue

"Behold, what manner of love"

EDNA B. JOHNSON

THE beloved disciple said, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." The greatest gift the world has ever known came with the advent of Jesus the Christ. This gift of God to the world is as yet not fully comprehended. The mission of Christ Jesus was to bring healing to a sin-filled world,—healing of mental, moral, and physical ills. The vision of the worldly-minded people was so beclouded by their incarnate false beliefs that the truth of the Christ-teachings could scarcely be understood by them. The beloved Master's vision was deep and far-reaching; every need of mankind was known to him, and throughout his earthly pilgrimage he was faithfully striving to show by precept and parable how this need could be supplied. His love for the children of men was so intense, so pure, so impartial, that no matter how deeply they had plunged into sin, the Christ-element of compassion and forgiveness in the man, Christ Jesus, forever predominated, and for those deepest in sin he could offer the prayer, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." It was because of his full understanding and knowledge of the love of God that this marvelous prayer was uttered. No one has ever grasped the meaning of this love so fully as did Christ Jesus.

With unmistakable signs the world to-day feels the touch of the Christ-command spoken ages ago: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness." Those who truly seek first the kingdom of God have fulfilled, in a measure, the command, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." This command, ages old, is to-day being apprehended, and through this understanding human consciousness is undergoing a purifying process which is enabling mankind, little by little, to replace the imperfect concept, the impure and wrong thinking, with the Christ-mind, the Christ-element of goodness and forgiveness. The Magdalene recognized the impurity of her own life and knew that the healing streams of love and forgiveness which flowed from the Master's pure life and teachings could purify her own, and when in her contrition and meekness she went to him the reply was, "They sins are forgiven."

The process of correction may be slow, but the refining is refreshing and sure. On page 96 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" our beloved Leader says: "This mental fermentation has begun, and will continue until all errors of belief yield to understanding. Belief is changeable, but spiritual understanding is changeless." We cannot, in the light of Christian Science, deceive ourselves into taking one single step that has not been honestly earned by impartial and consecrated thinking. Christian Science is teaching us to love as Jesus loved, to think as Jesus thought,—in terms of Mind; and this because we are the reflection of divine Mind, which knows no evil. It is therefore the duty of every sincere student of Christian Science to be a transparency for truth, to possess the Christ-spirit, to keep close to God in daily work, and to know that nothing can hinder progress and growth in truth if our motto is "God First." And so we learn, in our attempt to follow the Way-shower, as revealed through the practice of Christian Science, that the keynote of true Christianity is love. We are to-day receiving the benefits of Christ's glorified teaching, bearing to us its rich reward of health, happiness, and an immeasurable sense of reliance on God. Thus we rejoice, as Mrs. Eddy says (Science and Health, p. 569), "in the proof of healing,—in a sweet and certain sense that God is Love."

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

"Behold, what manner of love"

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access