Article October 16, 1926 Issue

No Amalgamation of Truth and Error

HARVELLA WIDNEY

In the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, we read (p. 207), "The Science of being repudiates self-evident impossinilities, such as the amalgamation of Truth and error in cause or effect." The force of this statement was brought out to a student of Christian Science with considerable clarity through an experience with quicksilver. To make clear to a group of children its fluid properties some of it was held in the palm of the hand and exhibited, and, thoughtlessly, it was permitted to touch the rings worn by the exhibitor. In the shadow of a large room no change was noticed in the rings at the time. Later, when in the light, their change of color was plainly noticeable. immediately the questions came: What can be done about it? Can anything be done? Or was the thoughtless one to have the testimony of her thoughtlessness before her as long as she wore the rings? Several books and people were consulted, but no two agreed; and none spoke with conviction as to the best way of putting the rings right. Not until a jeweler was consulted did the answer come with the authority of understanding and demonstration. With a feeling of confidence the rings were left in his hands for restoration to their original condition.

How often in the shadow of mortal thinking we thoughtlessly, and oftentimes ignorantly, fail to protect ourselves from the quick, subtle action of error, and perhaps even congratualte ourselves that our gold is undimmed—that we are shining examples of righteousness! But what a shock it is to come into the revealing light of Truth through some circumstance, testing time, or quiet meditation, and to see how far short we fall of the "beauty of holiness"! Brought face to face with the result of careless or wrong thinking we commence our search for relief. We rush here and there, to this system of physical healing or to that form of religious teaching, seizing everything offered, hoping and believing each time that we have found the perfect healing for our special trouble. Until we find one, however, who can speak with the authority of demonstration, our search is fruitless. There is only one way whereby we can be freed from our enveloping error, and that is through the Science of Christianity. Jesus of Nazareth knew this and proved it centuries ago wherever he found a receptive heart. Mary Baker Eddy knew it and proved it to our own age, and gave us the textbook of Christian Science, so that we may cleanse ourselves and others from all that would disfigure physically, mentally, or spiritually.

The process of removing the error which is concealing the gold of our true spiritual nature may be a long one, and it may be a painful one to human sense. But when we are seeking any good, do we usually complain because of the effort and the time needed to bring it to pass? Do we not, rather, bend every energy to the task, forgetting the hardships in the joy of labor and the hope of success? Our labor is lightened and our time is shortened by working after the manner of the jeweler, who is interested primarily in the gold under the concealing coating, and works to bring it to light. So we who look to God for healing must bend our every energy toward turning our thoughts to the good we would manifest, instead of allowing them to dwell on the evil our bodies or our minds seem to express. We may not have known up to this time where or when or how we have acquired that which now so distresses us; but as we persistently hold our thoughts to the good that we are learning to understand and to love, we find that the error disappears and the gold appears. If we seek good for good's sake, God will answer our prayer and work with us to open our blind eyes to our spiritual sonship, in which there is no sin, sickness, or death.

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