"Unwinding one's snarls"

We are all familiar with the sight of horses or cows pasturing in green fields. To prevent these animals from straying into a neighbor's property, people sometimes tie them to long ropes, which in turn they fasten to trees or stakes. Quite often one may see an animal which, instead of enjoying the freedom of a long rope, has wandered around and around the tree or stake in one direction until it finds itself, to use a popular expression, "at the end of the rope." However hard it may struggle, or pull, or tug, it cannot unwind itself. Unless some one assists it or it reverses its previous movement and turns in the opposite direction, it will remain a prisoner. But if either of these be done, it may enjoy again the freedom of the long rope with its advantages. Even then it has to be watchful not to be caught again in like manner, and so once more be deprived of its liberty.

This illustration of an animal entangled, struggling, pushing, and pulling to regain a larger sense of freedom may be taken as an illustration of ourselves as Christian Science finds most of us. We were perhaps tied closely to the stake of sin, sickness, sorrow, or lack. To be sure, we were trying every known remedy to overcome and destroy the discordant condition, but without permanent and lasting result. Sin seemed to have dominion; sickness did not yield to the patient and kind administration of conscientious nurse and physician and well-known material remedies; change of surroundings or occupation did not vanquish sorrow and grief. However hard one may have worked and lived, there still was lack; and so it went on. One's religion, based on the mingling of Spirit and matter, which included belief in everlasting punishment, a future heaven after death, and similar man-made teachings, seemed to hold no hope and to give no encouragement that these seeming obstructions could be overcome. We had reached "the end of the rope."

What could we do? Was there no way out of all these difficulties, which seemed mountain-high? Oh, yes, there was a way of escape, and, as in the illustration of the animal, an avenue out of our entanglement by turning in the opposite direction. God had provided a way to reverse our troubles,—through Christian Science. We begin to reverse our methods when we commence the earnest study of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy. The understanding of its teaching will, however, never be gained if it be approached with a sense of self-depreciation, or belief in not being able to assimilate its contents, or with a sense of superiority of knowledge, or with prejudice. Its author says therein (pp. 323, 324): "Willingness to become as a little child and to leave the old for the new, renders thought receptive of the advanced idea. Gladness to leave the false landmarks and joy to see them disappear,—this disposition helps to precipitate the ultimate harmony."

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Liquidating Debts
June 27, 1925
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