Editorial November 1, 1922 Issue

The Kinship of Spirit

Ella W. Hoag

All men long for a right understanding of kinship. Every one in his innermost heart desires to know how to bring about in his living that true sense of relationship which will result in blessing and blessedness, not only to himself, but to others. From the human standpoint, many fret selfishly over their inability to win the good which they feel should be found in right relationship; while to the unselfish there is no disappointment so keen as that which comes from the recognition that they have failed—from one cause or another—to convey happiness to those with whom they have been associated.

Nothing can be of greater importance to every one than a correct understanding of relationship. All know that they exist in the midst of relationship in some form, since it would be quite impossible to imagine any one so isolated that he would not be conscious of some sense of it. Existence without association would not be existence, for its selfcentered limitation would necessarily reduce it to its own nothingness. The world has heard a great deal on the subject of relationship, but it has not reached satisfying conclusions in regard to it, since the fluctuating happiness and frequently recurring misery which are apparent to-day are the proof of its failure to gain a correct comprehension of the joy true relationship must include.

From the beginning of time, men have sought in a multitude of directions, through setting up all sorts of ideals, to find the truth about relationship which would make it possible for them to live in harmony with one another. The psalmist extolled such relationship when he sang, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" This unity has, however, seemed the exception in human affairs. Mrs. Eddy explains the reason for this in "Unity of Good" (p. 9), where she says: "The talent and genius of the centuries have wrongly reckoned. They have not based upon revelation their arguments and conclusions as to the source and resources of being,—its combinations, phenomena, and outcome,—but have built instead upon the sand of human reason. They have not accepted the simple teaching and life of Jesus as the only true solution of the perplexing problem of human existence."

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit

The Kinship of Spirit

We'd love to hear from you!

Sign up for unlimited access