Article December 11, 1920 ISSUE

Advice

NATHANIEL J. BUSKIRK

The need for accurate advice and unfailing direction in the working out of the problems common to human experience is seen by students of Christian Science to be imperious and universal in its scope. When an individual is confronted with the rock-ribbed obstacle of some so-called personal problem, which seems to baffle the understanding, naturally the person begins to cast about mentally for a stable source of advice and information, to which he can go with assurance that the answer to his mental query will be unerring.

To the mortal, baffled and perplexed by the wide diversity of human opinions as regards his particular problem and the correct manner in which it should be solved, the query arises from the heart, which borders upon a wail of despair, "Oh that I knew where I might find him!" as voiced by Job of old. In other words, where is there an unfailing source of unerring direction and infinite protection to be found? That such a source exists, we are assured by the glowing promises of the Bible as to God's guidance and protection for His own. It becomes more and more evident with the unfolding of life experience that this source must exist somewhere apart from and above and beyond mere human counsel and advice, for have we not all taken our seemingly most perplexing problems to intimate friends for their guidance, and found that the way which we should take under the particular circumstances was still not perfectly clear? Such experiences prove unmistakably that the guiding power of God is wholly apart from mere human premises and opinions. On page 454 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy says: "Love inspires, illumines, designates, and leads the way. Right motives give pinions to thought, and strength and freedom to speech and action." Cannot these statements of truth be properly taken as admonitions to all to seek to discern through spiritual understanding, instead of from human personality, the exact way to take? When we ask for advice from human personality, how many times does the person to whom the inquiry is addressed know all of the facts and the innermost sacred desires of the heart? Surely very seldom. Therefore not knowing all the facts, how can any person render a perfectly intelligent judgment? Yet is this not precisely what we are trying daily to do, and expecting others to do,—that is, to decide momentous problems correctly without being in full possession of the facts? What would we think of the consistency of the judge of a court who would hand down a decision in a case without taking into consideration all of the facts? The attempt to decide momentous issues of individuals and nations from ex parte knowledge has resulted and will result in dire consequences.

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