Article January 3, 1925 Issue

Right Radicalism

CORINNE M. HEUSER

There is a vast difference between right radicalism and fanaticism. The latter has no place in Christian Science; and students of this Science may well learn to distinguish between the two, and to bring out in their lives, not a fanatical or unreasoning zeal without understanding,—straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel,—but a sane and constant and unreserved reliance upon divine Principle in working out their problems. This is right radicalism. Our Leader, in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 167), says: "Only through radical reliance on Truth can scientific healing power be realized;" and the Christian Scientist soon learns that relief from the sense of discord, whether mental or physical, whether a seeming condition of environment, illness, unhappiness, or lack, can be brought about only through "radical reliance on Truth." And this, the true healing, is "scientific healing,"—the result of a right understanding of God and His universe. Healing in Christian Science is not restricted to the mere healing of physical disease; it reaches every activity of daily life, and will gradually "overturn, overturn, overturn, ... until he come whose right it is,"—until the Christ is enthroned in consciousness.

We are apt to accept as true the pleasures of sense, but to deny its pains; that is, to be content to accept the material as true when it brings us a sense of pleasure, but to work faithfully to overcome all sense of pain in material living. Both the pleasures and the pains of sense are the effects of the same belief of intelligence in matter, or denial that God, Spirit, is All-in-all. They are the fruits of the "carnal mind;" and both must be denied and overcome. That which is easy and pleasant to material sense may be wrong to spiritual sense; and we sometimes have to be forced into taking up the work according to God's plan. Mrs. Eddy tells us in Science and Health (p. 326), "If we wish to follow Christ, Truth, it must be in the way of God's appointing."

A few years ago the writer spent some months in a tropical country where mosquitoes were very troublesome. For some days they were so annoying that it was almost impossible to sit quietly anywhere. After several material methods of protection had been tried without avail, a native servant offered to burn some lemon leaves, saying this was a never failing remedy. Consent was inadvertently given, and a bowl of burning lemon leaves was placed in the center of the living room. The odor, however, caused violent nausea, but did not disturb in the least the invading insects. This sharp experience awakened thought to the fallacy of such methods; and the truth was then earnestly realized. The realization that God's universe is perfect, and that every idea exists to bless every other idea, but never to annoy, brought a wonderful peace. Joyfully were the material means put aside; and the right effect was almost instantaneous. No further annoyance was experienced, although several weeks were spent in the same place. The result was so noticeable that a member of the family who was not interested in Christian Science asked what had been done to relieve the situation. "There is none like unto the Lord our God."

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