Article March 6, 1920 Issue

The House Built Without Hands

CASSIUS M. CAUGHEY

When one first takes up earnestly the study of Christian Science, turning to divine Love only after having exhausted all known material methods in an endeavor to regain physical health, to overcome an enslaving appetite or a besetting sin,—in other words, in his endeavor to gain spirituality, his experiences will be somewhat analogous to those encountered in the erection of a material building. Several preliminary steps must be taken before starting such erection, one of the most important of which is the clearing off of the building site. There are often old structures to be razed or moved, trees to be cut down, stumps to be taken out, and rubbish to be hauled away before the excavation can be started. The one in charge is careful to perform this important part of the work thoroughly in order that his men may not be inconvenienced or hindered in carrying out the contract. Time is usually an important factor in building work, and unnecessary delays must be avoided. If a contractor should neglect to remove useless and worthless material that might impede his progress and thus preclude the possibility of rapid and efficient work, he would be considered deficient in judgment.

In like manner the young student will find that pride, prejudice, and preconceived notions about God, man, and the universe,—the belief that God is the author of aught but good, that man is both matter and mind, that salvation is for a future world only, and other popular misconceptions of these vital subjects,—are only so much mental rubbish that must be cleared out of consciousness in order to have real progress attainable.

The excavation for walls and footings will offer varying degrees of difficulty, depending largely on the nature of the soil and the season of the year. The work must be started on a firm foundation, however, and at the proper depth below the surface of the ground, as planned and specified by the architect. No two students of Christian Science ever have exactly the same experience in their efforts to overcome "the world, the flesh, and the devil." Each one approaches the problem from a little different angle. The different mental soils will require different modes of attack. One person may have many instantaneous healings; another's demonstrations may seem to be slow and protracted. The contractor does not become discouraged simply because he encounters hard, compact earth in his excavation. With patience and humility the earnest student will dig deep into the filled ground of worldly wisdom, uncover the rocks and boulders of hatred, lust, hypocrisy, malice, envy, the presence of which he may never before have suspected, and with the sunlight of Truth destroy all "that which defiles, defaces, and dethrones the Christ-image" (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 8) which he should reflect. Resentment, revenge, greed, jealousy, self-love, dishonesty, ingratitude, are among the errors that must be cleared out of one's thinking. This way not all be accomplished at once, but the student will earnestly, persistently, prayerfully attack these impediments to progress, and never relax his efforts until they are removed.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

What Is Spiritual Uplift?