Article April 29, 1922 Issue

Meekness is Might

ANNE VAN VEEN-EYKELBOOM

The Bible tells us that the meek "shall inherit the earth." some theological teaching, not understanding this statement but believing that meekness is a virtue that every Christian ought to cultivate, has endeavored to have mankind accept its concept of humility. How well it has succeeded can be gauged by the fact that many people to-day have a wholesome dislike for the word "meekness." Generally speaking, a meek person is regarded as one who is timid and cowardly, who rarely asserts an opinion, who is apt to condone evil where he should resist it, who cravenly submits to abuse, or indolently yields to suggestion. Far from having dominion over the earth, this perverted sense of meekness is a form of self-conscious egotism—a spurious kind of modesty that may flare up into indignation when its humility is not properly honored. It is suspicious lest advantage be taken of it; and it feels slighted and offended most of the time, because in its own estimation it never receives what it deserves. This creature of Pharisaism thanks God he is not like other men. Surely such is a counterfeit of the idea of meekness Jesus had when he gave to the world his glorious Beatitude: "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."

In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mary Baker Eddy often links together the words "meekness" and "might;" and on page 597 she writes of Jesus that he was "as meek as he was mighty." The world generally does not grant might to the meek; rather would it concede power to dominating will and serpent-like cunning. Worldly and ecclesiastical despotism assert that the mere possession of intellect, age, and experience makes a person influential, and that money, position, and birth give him authority. But as the meekness of false theology is not truly humble, so the might of such domination cannot be the might of true dominion, or Jesus' statement that the meek "shall inherit the earth" would not be true.

Christian Science shows us how to discern the spiritual idea in place of the human concept and thus to arrive at the real or spiritual meaning. It states, with Biblical authority, that God, divine Mind, gives man dominion. When this statement is understood, it is clearly seen that only the consciousness which reflects Truth and Love can have might. Mrs. Eddy points this out on page 141 of Science and Health: "For this Principle there is no dynasty, no ecclesiastical monopoly. Its only crowned head is immortal sovereignty. Its only priest is the spiritualized man." This God-given dominion can only be gained as one learns the eternal truth about himself as God's spiritual child, and thus perceives that material selfhood, with all its so-called knowledge, its self-esteem, self-reliance, and self-sufficiency, is not the truth of being. As one loses his false sense of self he becomes really meek; and in the same proportion realizes his birthright of dominion over all the earth.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

"Moulding and chiseling thought"