Editorial November 27, 1926 Issue

Protection through Watchfulness

Ella W. Hoag

Men in whatever walk of life and from earliest recorded history have recognized that their protection from danger and difficulty has depended largely upon their exercising watchfulness. From the wise saying, "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty," to the prosaic, "Watch your step," mankind has accepted the fact that alertness at all times and under all circumstances is an important factor in successful endeavor. Men have believed this so thoroughly that when disaster has seemed to be their portion they have most frequently attributed it to some failure on their part to keep guard where watchfulness had been needed. Human ingenuity and wisdom, however, have been so frail a staff to lean upon that even while men have proclaimed the necessity of constant alertness they have found themselves falling short of its demands, even at most crucial periods.

Christians have joined in this universal recognition of the desirability of alertness; they have admitted that continual watchfulness is a demand that God makes upon them. For do they not find through all the Bible an unbroken thread of admonition to be watchful? Even they, however, have often wondered why their best endeavors to be alert should fall so far short of what was needed to ensure adequate protection.

All through Mrs. Eddy's writings the same call to watchfulness resounds. Christian Science therefore also emphasizes this need of perpetual care lest one sleep when he should be awake; but it has also marked out the way whereby watchfulness may be so perfectly performed that success shall attend every right undertaking. Basing its instructions on this subject—as on all others—on the teachings and demonstrations of Jesus, it calls attention to the fact that our Lord and Master was so constantly, so consistently, watchful that he was never found off guard. In consequence, he was so perfectly protected that he was able to prove under whatever untoward condition the unity with God, good, which delivered him from all evil.

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