Article April 19, 1924 Issue

No Turning Back

FLORENCE ELSIE SLADE

In the second chapter of Luke is an account of Jesus' being taken, according to Israelitish custom, by his parents to the feast of the passover at Jerusalem. After the celebrations, when his parents departed toward Nazareth, unknown to them Jesus tarried in Jerusalem. Imagine the parental dismay when, after continuing a day's journey, they found that the child was not with them! They did that which to human sense seemed the most natural thing to do,—they turned back to seek him. Yet their anxiety was not to be immediately allayed; for we read that only after three days did they find Jesus in the temple, and to their amazement sitting in the midst of the doctors "both hearing them, and asking them questions."

Overjoyed as the mother must have been to find her child again, yet she could not suppress the loving reproach: "Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing." The anxiety of Jesus' mother apparently surprised him, and he asked, "How is it that ye sought me?" How many of us on our onward spiritual journey are assailed by a sense of loss, separation, responsibility, or perhaps by thoughts of a dear one in danger! Yielding to apprehension, we sometimes go "a day's journey" before we are aware of our submission to error's claim. We may find that it requires several days to clear our dimmed perception of Truth. But after faithful work the ever present activity of divine Love is revealed to us, and we are renewedly amazed at its wonderful power. Can we not sometimes hear Truth say, "How is it that ye sought me?"—since Truth is omnipresent?

The idea of seeking implies that an object is lost or hidden, and much human effort may be required ere it be found. Our beloved Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, devoted many years to the seeking of spiritual Truth, which had been hidden from the world for centuries,—hidden by erroneous material beliefs and superstition. In the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," she has revealed the truth that God, divine Love, with all His attributes is All-in-all. Mrs. Eddy sought, found, and gave us the truth taught by Christ Jesus; therefore, Christian Scientists know that they have but to realize and thereby utilize the truth revealed by their beloved Leader, in order to make its blessings theirs. If we, turning back from erroneous claims, keep the truth in our hearts, we shall in our daily experiences be looking upward and onward. Walking in light, we shall be armed with wisdom to meet and overcome every erroneous condition under any circumstance, and thus demonstrate the power of divine Love. Mrs. Eddy writes on page 506 of Science and Health: "Through divine Science, Spirit, God, unites understanding to eternal harmony. The calm and exalted thought or spiritual apprehension is at peace."

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