Article December 5, 1925 Issue

Giving What We Have

IDA N. LOCKWOOD

As the Christmas season approaches, the desire to give predominates in human consciousness. It would seem that this altruistic attitude of thought should result more generally in that joyous and harmonious state ascribed in the Gospel of Luke to the heavenly host who ushered in the Christmas season with the song, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." If the thought of Christmas giving is not accompanied by this blessed spirit of peace, joy, and good will, but, instead, there is a sense of heaviness and weariness, an underlying dissatisfaction and regret because our desire to give seems beyond our ability, or because the effort to give appropriately seems to require so very much time and thought, may we not question whether we really are entertaining the genuine Christmas spirit?

Any individual who has felt disappointment in the ordinary observance of Christmas will be interested and helped by a study of the teaching of Christian Science on the subject. On this, as on all matters relating to human experience, the writings of Mary Baker Eddy are most illuminating. In an article entitled, "What Christmas Means to Me," in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (pp. 262, 263), Mrs. Eddy writes: "I love to observe Christmas in quietude, humility, benevolence, charity, letting good will towards man, eloquent silence, prayer, and praise express my conception of Truth's appearing. The splendor of this nativity of Christ reveals infinite meanings and gives manifold blessings. Material gifts and pastimes tend to obliterate the spiritual idea in consciousness, leaving one alone and without His glory."

A young student of Christian Science, who was bound by the habit of giving and receiving many material gifts, found herself, while in the midst of the rush of preparing gifts—principally of her own handiwork—for the large number on her list, harassed with regret and condemnation because of her inability to respond more generously to the call of the Provident Association for assistance in caring for the cases of desperate need that were at that time being reported in unusual numbers. As the student lifted her thought to God for deliverance from this depression, her attention was drawn to the healing incident recorded the third chapter of Acts, in which Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee." As these words were pondered, it was clearly seen that in accepting and worrying over the newspaper reports of poverty and destitution, she was failing to give what she had, namely, her understanding of the universal reality of good and the consequent unreality of evil. A resolution was then made to set aside a certain period of each morning to be devoted specifically to gaining a better realization of the truth which Christ Jesus preached and lived, that truth to which Mrs. Eddy refers in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 107) as "Immanuel, 'God with us,'—the sovereign ever-presence, delivering the children of men from every ill 'that flesh is heir to.'"

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