Article January 6, 1923 Issue

The Sense of Hearing—Attention

CHRISTINA V. FORSYTH

What does the sense of hearing mean to you? Let us consider it for a few moments from the standpoint of attention. One of the definitions of "hear" is "obey;" and in "obedience," from its Latin derivation, we get the sense of hearing intelligently. And in order to hear intelligently, what is more important than attention? In fact, could we hear intelligently did we not give our undivided attention?

Have we witnessed a company of soldiers drilling? The first order from their superior officer is, "Attention!" So in our daily round the first order to ourselves should be, "Attention!" In our Christian Science work as we face a problem, whether for ourselves or for another, and endeavor to solve it by applying the truth as revealed by our revered Leader, let us begin our work by requiring attention. To the writer this has proved one of the greatest helps in many avenues of work. In the Sunday school the first expectation for our class should be attention; in our church services, attention should be the first demand upon ourselves; and in our practice, attention should be the first necessity for both practitioner and patient. Very clearly we see that in giving right attention we are putting ourselves in the best position for hearing.

In giving help to a friend, who in the evening manifested sleepiness and fatigue when she wished to read and study, the writer worked from this standpoint of attention. This friend had written asking if the sleepiness and fatigue were not a symptom of disease. On page 198 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" we read, "It is better to prevent disease from forming in mortal mind afterwards to appear on the body; but to do this requires attention." The patient was instructed to give her attention to Truth, to "the true facts in regard to harmonious being" (Science and Health, p. 376); and not only was she helped, but the practitioner was healed of a thought of confusion that had been with her for several days.

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