The gratitude and love which Christian Scientists feel toward their beloved Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, for the blessings which have come into their lives through her discovery of Christian Science and her ceaseless labors for mankind, constitute an important part of their attitude towards Truth. While we all wish to express this in words and deeds to the best of our ability, are we as watchful as we should be to do so in some of the very simple ways in which we can show real gratitude; namely, by devotion to the Cause of Christian Science, and by doing constructive work for it? We all know how our Leader emphasized the necessity for deeds, rather than words, to prove one's sincerity; and what should be said of one who, while professing gratitude, is at the same time serving evil in its attempts to destroy the Cause, by failing to watch and do his part in preserving unity in our churches?

It should be evident that the great opportunity to demonstrate our gratitude is a privilege and duty; for thereby is maintained that vitalizing unity and harmony in our churches which must abide where members are spiritually active and self-sacrificing with regard to all church affairs. We are all likely to watch closely our thinking with regard to the seeming aches and pains of our so-called physical bodies; but this may involve a certain element of selfishness. We must rise higher than this if we would maintain a right attitude of thought toward all church problems, and thereby secure unity and strength in our branch organizations, which will maintain them impregnable aginst the pretentious assaults of evil, be the evil ignorant, fraudulent, or malicious. Can any doubt the importance of this unity of front when they consider how our Leader counsels obedience to the Bylaws of the Church Manual, and her constant admonitions to remain loyal to all departments of our organization?

There is no doubt of our intention to support our Cause to the best of our ability; but it must be in spiritual alertness that we shall prove our devotion and bring forth fruits. This alertness is demonstrated by our insistence at all times on the spiritual truths of being with regard to church officers and church problems, and by our denial of the reality of mortal seemings. How true it is that in our thinking there can be no such thing as neutral ground. We are either seeing a loving Father,—infinite Mind,—governing absolutely His ideas in all phases of their activity, or else taking the side of error and admitting the claims of so-called mortal mind's activity and proneness to make mistakes and do wrong ignorantly or intentionally. If we hold to the spiritual truth that the infinite One is governing all His ideas through unerring law, we are then at-one with Truth, and working to sustain the activity of the Christ-idea, as manifest in the Christian Science organization; but if we take the side of error, we are allying ourselves in belief with anti-Christ, and all the suppositional forces of evil, which would attempt to hinder the healing Christ and impede its activity and power operating through our movement.

When we are tempted to think wrongly, is it not because of our failure to look away from mortal personalities and see the infinite Person, the divine Principle, to whom we can safely leave the government of His own ideas? What a ringing call to forsake personality for Principle we have in the following words of our beloved Leader, found in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 135): "Again I repeat, person is not in the question of Christian Science. Principle, instead of person, is next to our hearts, on our lips, and in our lives. Our watchwords are Truth and Love; and if we abide in these, they will abound in us, and we shall be one in heart,—one in motive, purpose, pursuit;" and she adds that this line of action "conquers all opposition, surmounts all obstacles, and secures success."

It goes without saying that if we spend our time examining the lives of our fellow-members it is possible we may find faults and a lesser degree of demonstration than is to be expected; but when tempted to do this, should we not remember our Master's rebuke, "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?" Why should we allow our mentality to be disordered by critical thoughts which rob us of our peace and joy by shutting out the healing presence of divine Love and the consciousness of God and His perfect creation? Surely we should be so busy cultivating the flowers in our own mental gardens that we have not the time to trouble about the weeds in those of others. In our daily affairs none of us are as true to our spiritual vision as we might be; and we should make greater effort to be alert and faithful and loyal on the question of our thinking with regard to our church organization and fellow-members. In so doing we shall bless ourselves, bless one another, and bless the world, with the increased activity of the healing truth, which is bringing peace and satisfaction to all the weary ones seeking its message.

While this means that we must eliminate needless personal criticism of fellow-members, it does not imply that a church officer should not correct an error in an impersonal and charitable manner when it is plainly his duty to do so. Neither would this proper attitude toward church affairs prevent members from bringing forward in an orderly way at business meetings and through the proper channels, proposals for the elimination of errors which may be impeding the progress of the church. Naturally, this would also be done in an impersonal manner, with the greatest charity toward any who might apparently be involved, and with the honest desire to remedy existing wrongs by acting fearlessly and not seeking to cover errors which the best interests of the church demand shall be removed. Surely Paul's words in the twelfth chapter of Romans apply especially to a church body: "For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another."

On page vii of the Foreword to "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany," in an article which was reprinted from the Christian Science Sentinel, we find some splendid counsel which is helpful on the question under discussion. We read there: "Strive it ever so hard, The Church of Christ, Scientist, can never do for its Leader what its Leader has done for this church;" and on the same page, "Deeds, not words, are the sound test of love; and the helpfulness of consistent and constant right thinking—intelligent thinking untainted by the emotionalism which is largely self-glorification—is a reasonable service which all Christian Scientists can render their Leader." We may also apply this "consistent and constant right thinking" to our church affairs, and thus render "reasonable service" not only to our revered Leader,—to all loyal Christian Scientists an esteemed privilege,—but also to our church and to all the world.