Article October 16, 1920 Issue

Man Is Perfect

VIVIAN M. KUENZLI

Most of us can bear witness from actual experience to the general belief in the error so tersely expressed by Pope in the words, "Man never is, but always to be blest." This form of limitation, like all others, is rooted in the belief of the reality of matter, and seems to bind humanity before its earliest recollection. In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 304) Mrs. Eddy says, "It is ignorance and false belief, based on a material sense of things, which hide spiritual beauty and goodness."

Perhaps because of our reluctance to see and acknowledge as an error this relegating of happiness or blessedness to the future, we sometimes find that even after beginning the earnest study of Christian Science, and learning that now is indeed the accepted time, we may not be freed easily nor immediately from this phase of belief in mortality. Always the falsehood is presented that we shall do or be or have—when this condition is met, that limitation overcome, or the other circumstance removed. This suggestion needs to be met promptly, patiently, persistently, yea, aggressively with the affirmations of Truth. We should not feel any sense of weariness in our effort to realize that God's creation must be like Him, although the struggle often seems as severe to us as that of Jesus in Gethsemane must have been to him; but as he emerged stronger, better able to cope with the last enemy, so we find that our true capabilities are revealed through usage of spiritual qualities. Little by little, perhaps, we find ourselves better able to solve our problems and to express more and more of the love and gentleness of true Christianity. This increasing development comes through the earnest desire and growing ability to comprehend and obey the injunction, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you," and no effort is ever wasted.

The gladness and grandeur of Christian Science as well as the gratitude felt toward all who have part in presenting it to the world, is found to be beyond measure as the manifold trials of our faith are understood as opportunities for the application of a fixed rule. We begin to see that there is no condition so terrible, no material thing so attractive, no circumstance so trivial that it does not demand from us the exercise of every whit of our knowledge of the Science taught by Jesus, restated by Mrs. Eddy, and "carried on" by every loyal student of to-day. As we make the necessary effort, we shall find that the beautiful promises contained throughout the Bible are more than mere words, and that Pope's satirical misconception is completely refuted by the pure, sweet clarity of the words found on page 428 of the Christian Science textbook, "The great spiritual fact must be brought out that man is, not shall be, perfect and immortal."

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

The Practice of Metaphysics