Editorial October 7, 1922 Issue

Abel's Gift

Ella W. Hoag

Although thousands of years have passed since Abel brought his offering to God, the problems of mankind seem much the same. Outward circumstances may have changed, but the motives and purposes of the human heart still need purifying. While there are those now, as in Abel's time, who are wanting to serve God, there are others, like Cain, who are seeking only what they call their own. As a consequence, they, like Cain, are endeavoring to get everything out of their way which seems to interfere with the attainment of their desire. When Cain discovered that Abel's gift to God was more acceptable than his own, he believed it was Abel who had deprived him of God's approval; and he allowed jealousy to take possession of and control him.

Now, jealousy is always born of the desire to gain and hold something for one's self. The nature of jealousy is such that the more it believes some one else has obtained the object it desires, the more active it becomes, and the more determined to get rid of what is imagined as standing between it and its hope. To those looking from the narrow, selfish viewpoint of jealousy, good seems limited. Then, to get what is wanted there follows the attempt to push out of the way whatever is believed to be gaining the object it is seeking and thinks it alone should have.

No one needs to be told that jealousy of this sort is one of the worst enemies with which humanity has to deal. There is no quality more pernicious in its supposed activities. Because it is selfish in its nature, it always reacts most heavily on the one entertaining it, robbing such a one of peace and happiness, of love and joy. In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 68) Mrs. Eddy writes, "Jealousy is the grave of affection;" and Hannah More once said: "O, jealousy, thou ugliest fiend of hell! Thy deadly venom ... turns the healthful hue of my fresh cheek to haggard sallowness and drinks my spirit up;" while Solomon declared that "jealousy is the rage of a man." As Christian Scientists, we should be perpetually on guard against this enemy, both from within and from without; otherwise, we may unwittingly become its apparent victim. It may thus rob us, not only of our health and comfort, but of our opportunities for spiritual growth.

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