Editorial September 12, 1925 Issue

"Finding all in God"

Ella W. Hoag

In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p.264) our revered Leader, Mrs. Eddy, has written, "When we realize that Life as Spirit, never in nor of matter, this understanding will expand into self-completeness, finding all in God, good, and needing no other consciousness." In spite of the wonderful promise here given, this has been to some students of Christian Science "an hard saying;" for material sense does not yield its beliefs without some apparently strenuous resistance. Many are the arguments it claims to present to hinder the student from seeking all in God.

There are probably few Christian Scientists who would admit that they are not ready to prove whole-heartedly their unity with God. They are quite willing to make voluble declarations that they are here and now His image and likeness, His sons and daughters, the expressions of His perfection, the recipients of His gracious bounty. And this merits commendation and brings blessing; for such affirmations are now and forever true of man as the creation of God. It is, however, quite another matter to prove fully the truth of Mrs. Eddy's statement.

To become completely satisfied with Spirit, to see matter as undesirable, unworthy, unreal, one must struggle again and again to relinquish the beliefs in a false selfhood. Many an earnest effort must be made to demonstrate that Life is Spirit before one can expand into that "self-completeness" which finds "all in God, good," and needs "no other consciousness." Human belief claims to resist not only the steps towards that goal, but also the peerless goal itself. Personal, material sense would try to impose many an excuse, many an argument, that good exists in some limited material sense of things, in order thus to prevent the student from working to find all in good, Spirit; there is still the temptation to believe that if things material and personal are laid down, something that is precious, something of real value, will be lost.

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