Spirit

The Samaritan woman in conversation with Christ Jesus at Jacob's well advocated the world-thought prevalent at that time; namely, that God must be worshiped at some special place; but Jesus explained, for the benefit of the whole world, for all time: "Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. . . . The true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. . . . God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." In other words, those who worship God, to please God must worship Him in Himself as complete, perfect, knowing that they need nothing else for life, health, and strength. For about three hundred years a portion of the people understood the meaning of Jesus' teaching and example in the work of ever present Spirit. Then the attempt to worship God, Spirit, in connection with the material or State affairs soon buried the understanding of true worship, of casting out all evil thoughts, demonstrating the Christ-purity in healing sin and sickness, and raising those who were buried in sensuousness, to the understanding of heavenly harmony, in accord with the example of Christ Jesus and his teaching that the Father is Spirit and must be worshiped in all time and every place, "in spirit and in truth."

The translators, in recording that Jesus said God is a Spirit would imply that a Spirit is one of a kind among spirits, and for many centuries the world had been calling him Father, God, Spirit, and the creator of man and the universe, but had set him upon a pedestal away off in some unknown place, nobody knew where, in close confinement, while millions of aching hearts were asking: "Where, oh, where, can we find Him? Why does not He speak to us or give us some sign, as He spake to His children in the olden days?" Religious teachers are continually telling us, "He changeth not." But, always there are the questions, Where? and Why? while at times it really seemed as though the evil one reigned instead of our Father of love. But on page 45 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy we read this pæan of praise: "Glory be to God, and peace to the struggling hearts! Christ hath rolled away the stone from the door of human hope and faith, and through the revelation and demonstration of life in God, hath elevated them to possible at-one-ment with the spiritual idea of man and his divine Principle, Love." Yes! And glory be to God that Mary Baker Eddy has lifted the veil of materiality and revealed, to those who are willing to see, what God is, where God is, God's relation to man and the universe, and also what man is, where man is, and what is man's relation to God and the universe, for as Paul says, "In him we live, and move, and have our being."

Mrs. Eddy found in Mind and has given to the world the understanding of how it is that God, Spirit, is one Lord, one unconfined, unlimited presence and power, by which mankind may be healed and saved of every ill which afflicts mortals. The Bible in a three years' constant study was Mrs. Eddy's guide out of the wilderness of error into the light of Christ. The Bible, under the searchlight of Science and Health, is a sure guide to the mode of the Christ-healing for the world. This is a deep but glorious study. In this study we learn that we never stand still; we have only to-day and now. We are either better or worse in thought to-day, now, than we were yesterday. We are either understandingly, energetically climbing the hill of Truth, proving our mansion in heaven, or our feet are slipping backward upon the dry, smooth, grassy slope of selfishness. God, Mind, Spirit is one, fills immensity, is forever the same everywhere. Man, the real man, the Christ-man, male and female, made in the image of Spirit, Godlike in character, is one in thought. This understanding may, can, and must be demonstrated in the Christ-way of divine Love, revealed anew by Mrs. Eddy, in healing and saving the world from its sin-sickness. This task must be accomplished in and by the language of Spirit, God.

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The Spoken and the Unspoken Word
September 10, 1921
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