Article January 17, 1920 Issue

The Christian Scientist at College

JANE MACDOUGALL

TO the student in any college come the questions: "Am I here to waste my time by neglecting my duties; to drift with the current of idleness, in spending hours aside from studies in harmful gossip; to be mesmerized by fear of others' criticism? Or, am I to profit by my college course, to rise above fear, to make the best of every moment?" Certainly the Christian Scientist knows what the command "Choose you" means, and the testing time comes at once. This is true in the college with which the writer is familiar. Each young woman who is a Christian Scientist realizes that she is in a different environment from home; she apparently stands alone among her classmates and she is obliged to work out her own salvation. Once she declares, "I am a Christian Scientist," she must prove it. "You are a Christian Scientist," says materia medica, "but you must keep well or take our medicine." "You are a Christian Scientist," drawls theology, "but, you must be broad-minded, open to conviction. Let me show you a better way." These arguments must be met with a calm, steady assurance of the magnitude of Truth's protecting power and the demonstration of Mrs. Eddy's statement in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 393), "Be firm in your understanding that the divine Mind governs, and that in Science man reflects God's government."

To prove the nothingness of the claims of materia medica, intellectuality, and theology, however, one must do one's own work—know where one stands; must prove one's faith by one's works. Not only is the college student required to face the arguments just presented, but she must also show her classmates in other ways what it means to be a Christian Scientist. This, however, is not as difficult as it may seem, Others love a person who loves. Most will smile when greeted with a smile. The Christian Scientist knows how to love, for she is aware of the fact that she can no more help loving than a flower can keep from sending forth its fragrance, for she is the child of God and God is Love. The Christian Scientist can smile naturally, for she knows that God is Spirit, and the assurance gained from this knowledge of God gives her a firm foundation on which to base her joy and happiness. Her only responsibility is to live the life of a Christian Scientist to the best of her ability, and thus prove to others that the Scriptural statement, "By their fruits ye shall know them," has not lost its true meaning.

The task might seem overwhelming if the Scientist had nothing to sustain her; but she has everything,—her knowledge of God, the Bible, her Science and Health with the Quarterly, as well as Mrs. Eddy's other works, together with the periodicals, from all of which she can continually learn more about God. There are also the weekly meetings at which testimonies are given, expressing gratitude for work already accomplished. No matter how meager may seem the word spoken, it is full of joy and help for some one. All of the students who are interested in Christian Science meet to help each other, and the results of the meetings are limitless for good. The time spent in the service—this communion with God—uplifts and clears the thought of the student so that her studies are much easier and are accomplished more quickly. In fact the Christian Scientist finds that, as we are told in Science and Health (p. 128), "the human mind, imbued with this spiritual understanding, becomes more elastic, is capable of greater endurance, escapes somewhat from itself, and requires less repose."

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