Article September 22, 1923 Issue

White-winged Messengers

AMY FARISS

A great encouragement in our battle with error, in whatever guise it may claim to present itself, is that evern humanly speaking we are not alone in our struggle. Discouraging indeed might be our ofttime weary combat were we alone in the effort to liberate ourselves and others from the bands of materiality; but, like constant streams flowing day and night, there go out from thousands of Christian Scientists thoughts that heal. These thoughts go out, too, through our Christian Science periodicals, with their messages of Truth and Love; and there also go up for the human race prayers from mighty congregations. All world-problems are touched by these silent healing thoughts; all individuals must finally realize their cleansing power.

Floods, war, disaster, have seemed to crowd one upon another in recent years; but though the storms have beat and the winds have blown, again and again the Christian Scientist has emerged triumphant. However difficult or lonely our lot, we can know that others have encountered all that we are called upon to meet, and have gained the supremacy over error. Many have come forth from their prison houses free, ready to give to their fellow-men the encouragement that was given to them in their dark hours.

A certain Scientist was once endeavoring to lift the thought of a young student above the belief of loneliness. The young student was in a strange city, ill, lonely in his struggle; and his courage seemed about to fail. It was them that the older Scientist in a long, loving letter drew his attention to the white-winged messengers always surrounding us. Our Leader, speaking in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 559) of "the inaudible voice of Truth," says, "It is heard in the desert and in dark places of fear." To encourage the boy in his seemingly lonely effort, the Scientist in the letter dwelt upon the utter hopelessness of many prisoners during the European war, and asked, "Did they not keep up their courage and declare the truth many times in the face of inhuman conditions?" Separated from regiment or battleship, many of them were taken to dreary desert places and held by fanatic hordes. Yet, behold, God was even there! For such as these, from all corners of the globe, prayers were going forth from loving hearts. Who shall say how much courage and endurance these prisoners may have gained from these silent prayers? Who could limit what Mrs. Eddy calls, in "Rudimental Divine Science" (p. 9), "the spiritual power of scientific, right thought"? Miracles, so called, take place at such times. A general learns of the plight of a fellow-countryman. He calls for volunteers, and a dash is made with armored cars into the enemy-infested land. Are not these soldiers, seeking to save a countryman as they dash through all obstacles to the rescue, symbolic of the white-winged messengers—scientific, right thoughts—in "dark of fear"? Had the prisoners on the dreary desert not known this, hope might often have died in their breasts.

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