Editorial November 7, 1925 Issue

"My" and "Our"

Ella W. Hoag

There is no more cruel enemy of mankind than the belief in jealousy. Belonging as this evil mental element does to the selfishness of so-called mortal mind, it always seeks its own satisfaction, and stops at no means whereby it imagines it may attain its own desires. It first outcome in human history was outrageous destruction. Cain, believing that he could win God's approbation for himself and his own gift, if Abel and his more acceptable gift were out of the way, listened to the argument of jealousy and took occasion to slay his brother.

From that day to this, jealousy has tempted men into all sorts of evil-doing. Disposed as it is to suspicion—always suspecting rivalry of interest—it is naturally distrustful and intolerant. Seeking only its own supposed good, it is ever the tool of self-love and self-will. Since it starts in evil, it ends in yet greater evil. One is therefore never safe from its dangerous temptations so long as he is allowing himself to dwell with selfish purposes and desires. Only as he looks away from all aims which have any element of self-seeking in them, can he be sure that he will not finally be plunged into direst wrong action.

Now the little pronoun "my" has many a wise use; but it also may be associated with all that is jealous and unworthy. In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 187) Mrs. Eddy writes: "We say, 'My hand hath done it.' What is this my but mortal mind, the cause of all materialistic action?" Then to identify "my" with mortal mind is immediately to unite it with that which is aggressive and dominating, with that which is fearfully and jealously possessive. It is only when "my" is used as Jesus employed it when he said to his disciples, "I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God," that it presents the true sense of possession which is individual, and yet also includes all universally in the same richness and blessedness.

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