Article March 21, 1925 Issue

Progress

ANNA E. HERZOG

IN a paragraph on page 233 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy occur these sentences: "Every day makes its demands upon us for higher proofs rather than professions of Christian power. ... This is an element of progress, and progress is the law of God, whose law demands of us only what we can certainly fulfil." There is gloriously inspiring assurance in the statement that certain ability to obey Truth's onward demands is ours; and every Christian Scientist needs frequently to ask himself the question, Am I fulfilling God's law of progress?

Just as the child in school works out problems of greater and still greater magnitude, until eventually he becomes so proficient that he is able to help others, so will the Christian Scientist advance if he is expressing true progress. Christian Science is a religion of doing as well as knowing; and the student should each day, with joyous enthusiasm, use all he knows, and learn more. He must be increasingly obedient to his textbooks and to the Church Manual; otherwise, he need not wonder if his problems seem to increase, and their solutions to be delayed. Refusal on his part to take the advancing footsteps as they unfold, failure to grasp the opportunities for growth which Truth presents, apathetic mistaking of passivity for peace, result in temporary loss of inspiration, loss of the best results of health, freedom, and happiness, which should be his.

Real progress of an individual or of our Cause will be brought about neither by hurried human activity, which has its origin in materiality, nor by the complete lack of human activity, which results from mental stagnation. Real mental progress will be externalized in wise, helpful human action; but these seemingly necessary ways and means will be revealed as a result of right prayer, or spiritual activity.

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