Article August 25, 1923 Issue

Individual Right Thinking

MARION E. TWICHELL

Some years ago the writer was told of the following incident by a Christian Scientist. A friend had been visiting the house and was about to return home. A young man who was lodging in the same house offered to carry the grip of the departing guest to the railroad station, and was given permission. Looking out into the street, the owner of the grip saw the young man waiting, the grip in one hand and a lighted cigar in the other. In dismay the question was asked, "How can I ever walk to the station along with that man smoking?" Quietly the answer came, "If he can smoke in your presence, you had better let him." The writer thought this a very powerful rebuke to mortal mind, and as the years have passed and the demands of divine Principle have unfolded to her, she looks back on this answer as a real gem.

It is true that Christian Science will eventually reform the whole world; but must not this reformation come about through the reformation of the individual? Jesus knew it must, when he said, "Love thy neighbour as thyself." The standard for all loving is as we ourselves love. To love scientifically is to see man as God sees him. When we have learned always to see ourselves as God sees man, then no difficulty will be experienced in seeing our neighbor as inseparable from perfect Principle. True healing, like charity, begins at home. Line upon line, in her work "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," as well as in all her other published writings, Mrs. Eddy makes this clear. In "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 355) she says, "Learn what in thine own mentality is unlike 'the anointed,' and cast it out;" and then she adds: "'Physician, heal thyself.' Let no clouds of sin gather and fall in mist and showers from thine own mental atmosphere."

This truth was pointed out one day by a practitioner to one seeking help; and it brought forth the query, Does it mean, then, that I must experience the healing of all sorts of disease before I can bring healing to others? Far from it; but it does mean that the so-called human consciousness must continuously be clarified by right thinking. As the false and evil concepts are faithfully replaced by right ideas, this consciousness, flooded by the light of spiritual understanding, becomes a better transparency for Truth to shine through. Then, when one darkened by sin or false thinking comes into its presence and asks for help, healing follows; since no shadow can continue to exist under the direct rays of the sunlight of Truth. That the world owes to Mrs. Eddy a debt of gratitude beyond computation for the revelation of the truth of Christian Science is beyond doubt.

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