Editorial November 27, 1926 Issue

Uprightness

Duncan Sinclair

The word "uprightness" serves to bring to recollection many a valiant servant of the human race. Reach as far back into recorded history as we may, we find those who struggled to realize their righteous ideals, and in the struggle benefited their fellow-men. It is probably true that the generality of men at all periods in history have been deficient in spiritual vision; but scarcely any period has lacked its seer or its prophet. And these, the wise men of their generation, with their faith fixed on certain aspects of Truth, have been recognized and esteemed for their uprightenss, often in their own day.

Uprightness owes its power to the fact that it has its foundation in an understanding of divine Principle. This Christian Science makes very clear. Christian Science teaches that God is divine Principle, and that He is infinitely good; hence that good alone has reality and power. From this it follows that whoever reflects good, or does good, must be a power for good among his fellow-men. It should be natural for all men to do good; for as Christian Science has revealed, man—the real man—is the complete and perfect reflection of God, good. With these facts before us we discern that the upright are those who are living in more perfect accord with their real selves than are the unrighteous. By thinking good and doing good they are aligning themselves with divine Principle and, as the proverb runs, "To him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward."

Uprightness should characterize the Christian Scientist. He should be transparently honest in deed, as well as in thought. If he is not, most assuredly he is forfeiting his power for good, his power to heal the sick, to comfort the mourner, to succor the sinful. Mrs. Eddy writes in her usual straightforward manner in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (pp. 448, 449): "It is Christian Science to do right, and nothing short of right-doing has any claim to the name. To talk the right and live the wrong is foolish deceit, doing one's self the most harm. Fettered by sin yourself, it is difficult to free another from the fetters of disease. With your own wrists manacled, it is hard to break another's chains." Could there be plainer speaking than that?

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