Editorial November 17, 1923 Issue

Meekness, the Armor of a Christian

Duncan Sinclair

In her Message to The Mother Church for 1902 (p. 19) Mrs. Eddy writes, "Meekness is the armor of a Christian, his shield and his buckler." Meekness the armor of a Christian! If that be so, it were well to don the armor; for he who would run the Christian race stands in need of all the protection he can get. Various definitions may be given of the word "Christian"; but if it be taken as signifying one who is endeavoring to follow in the footsteps of the Founder of Christianity, Christ Jesus, by obeying his commands and doing as he did, then a Christian is one who is overcoming the false material sense of things, gaining in spirituality, and proving that he is doing so by healing sickness and destroying sin.

The definition of a Christian just given applies to every Christian Scientist. To such, the illusionary nature of so-called material existence has been exposed. Through Mrs. Eddy's writings he has seen that the fact of God's spiritual allness and perfection necessitates the conclusion that so-called matter or evil is unreal; and equipped with this understanding, he is engaged in putting it into practice in the destruction of all erroneous material thinking. But was ever task so gigantic to human sense? On every hand the world stands in opposition to Truth, hurling, in belief, its darts of malice, envy, and jealousy, and its spear of ignorance, at whosoever dares to assert, much less endeavors to prove, that God is infinite Spirit and His creation infinitely good. Nothing rouses the ire of mortal mind more than the truth stated in its mighty simplicity.

The opposition the Christian Scientist meets with, then, in the work of regenerating himself or in helping in the regeneration of others, arises from the opposition of the carnal mind to Truth. He does not, however, look upon this opposition as coming from persons; recognizing that it always arises from the carnal or mortal mind. And well for him that he does so. Should he fail, and believe instead that evil can become personified and thus attack him, he lays himself open, in belief, to receive the darts or the spear thrusts of evil, and to suffer in consequence. Moreover, he who believes evil to be personal in its seeming activity believes that good is likewise personal. And the fallacy of personal goodness at once gives rise to a host of errors, foremost among which is pride, the mocker of humility and the derider of peace.

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