Editorial December 12, 1925 Issue

Righteousness and Peace

Albert F. Gilmore

The earnest efforts of mortals to establish lasting peace between the nations of earth are, for the most part, based upon a material concept of Life and its expression, the universe. In consequence, peace thus sought has at best but an insecure foundation; for not only is all materiality but a temporal phase of belief, but all that rests upon the shifting sands of mortal existence partakes of matter's ephemeral nature. Paul knew whereof he spoke. "For the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal," he told the Christians of Corinth; and peace, to be permanent, must rest, not upon matter, but upon Spirit, for the spiritual alone endures.

Christ Jesus bore important evidence as to the nature of lasting peace. His words, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you," bespeak the peace which comes of the Father, the peace of eternal harmony unbroken by the vain imaginings of so-called mortal mind. This is not the utterance of a materialist, but of one so spiritually-minded that he overcame the laws of matter, revealing their impotence and utterly nullifying their claims to reality and power. On another occasion, when striving to bring comfort to his little band of disciples, he assured them of the high purpose of his precepts. "These things I have spoken unto you," he declared, "that in me ye might have peace." Peace in the divine idea, the peace which inheres in the spiritual understanding of God and His Christ, was the type of lasting peace toward which Christ Jesus turned the eyes of all who would accept him as Way-shower, Saviour, and Lord.

In view of this, how logical, then, are the efforts of Jesus' followers, Christian idealists, to establish peace in the world through the unity of the spiritually-minded of all nationalities, regardless of race, color, or religious affiliation—of all who undertake to invoke the spiritual forces of the universe through the worship of the Supreme Being. Christian Scientists welcome such efforts as definitely pointing to the new day of good will and mutual understanding which presages the coming of Christ's kingdom on earth. They recognize, however, that the Christianization of individual consciousness is the one sure basis of permanent peace; for only thereby can the world be rid of the causes of strife—hatred, envy, greed, and self-righteousness. When the causes of strife are eliminated from human thinking, peace will become permanent, because righteous. In writing of the tendency of mortals to engage in strife, Mrs. Eddy states in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 96): "This material world is even now becoming the arena for conflicting forces. On one side there will be discord and dismay; on the other side there will be Science and peace;" and she foretells the continuance of strife until "the end of error, when all discord will be swallowed up in spiritual Truth."

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