Article November 11, 1922 Issue

Scientific Advancement

BESSIE GILBERT

As one advances in the understanding of Christian Science, he sooner or later comes to the conclusion that he must obey the command, "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saithh the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing." It is impossible to acquiesce in the ways and means of mortal sense and at the same time get the deeper understanding of spiritual things. Entering upon the study of Christian Science, we begin to apprehend the truth revealed through "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy; and at once the Scriptures begin to unfold their real meaning. Many are wise enough at this very point to recognize the "pearl of great price;" and, immediately sacrificing some materiality, they enter into the work of demonstrating Christian Science, and begin to prove the statements set forth therein, thus advancing in an orderly way. Others, and they seem to be many, are not willing to give up the desire for materiality, but try to use Christian Science to aid them in holding on to what they already have of matter and in trying to obtain more.

It is a sad thing that humanity has so often to suffer much seeming loss before reaching a willingness to acknowledge that God, Spirit, is all, and material things are nothing in themselves, making us only as happy as we think they do. This is proved in the fact that every one has a different belief of what constitutes happiness, and these beliefs are constantly changing. Most of us believe we must have homes, relatives, and friends or we shall be miserable; but in studying the life of our Master we find he did not depend on these things. He "went about doing good." He said, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head." Always Jesus fulfilled human obligations, inasmuch as they did not interfere with his mission. He "went about doing good," and was always awake to the needs of those about him. Even on the cross, he instructed John to care for his mother, whose grief no doubt seemed greater than she could bear; and even after his resurrection he prepared fish and bread for his disciples, that they might eat.

To execute a criminal seems a terrible thing to human sense. But for a righteous man to be executed by jealousy and hate, ah! then human thought becomes silent, inadequate, stifled with grief. Only because Jesus lived with thought at-one with God, was he able to work out the problem that was his. Having accomplished his work, the reward was inevitable: he arose above all material sense, out of human sight, and "sat down at the right hand of the Father" (Science and Health, p. 41). We know not what the entire significance of this was, but we know there was nothing in matter with which he could have been rewarded.

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