Article March 22, 1924 Issue

Dominion

GERTRUDE M. BARNES

What wonderful possibilities are presented to one who has gained some realization of the truth contained in the first chapter of Genesis, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion." In line with this statement, Mrs. Eddy has written in our textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," beginning on page 517: "Man is not made to till the soil. His birthright is dominion, not subjection."

In order to understand man's dominion, it is necessary to know something about "man," to whom reference is made. His nature is clearly set forth in the above quotation from Genesis, which states that man was made in the image and likeness of God. God being divine Mind, His likeness must manifest the qualities of divine Mind; so that the problem is a mental one,—that is, man's dominion is in the mental realm; and to be able to exercise it our thinking must be right. Since our everyday life is simply the manifestation of our thought, whether this life shall be one of dominion or subjection is therefore determined by the kind of thoughts we think, whether they be thoughts of good or thoughts of evil.

This understanding of dominion, demonstrated recently by a student of Christian Science, resulted in freedom from a condition of apparent subjection. Employed in a busy office where it was necessary to be constantly active, both physically and mentally, in taking care of allotted work, there had gradually developed a sense of false responsibility, which resulted in resentment, impatience, and similar mental qualities. This mental state was a very unhappy one, and soon an inharmonious physical condition began to manifest itself, forcing upon the student the fact that a problem had to be solved.

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