Article February 20, 1926 Issue

"Why callest thou me good?"

MABEL REED HYZER

When one approached Christ Jesus with the inquiry, "Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" Jesus with his habitual promptness and clearness expressed a forcible truth that we should do well persistently to remember. Setting aside for the minute the question asked, he arrested the attention of the seeker at his first word, thus correcting and preventing further misapprehension of his own position. He said, "Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God." Jesus never lost sight of the fact that all of the good he possessed and expressed came from God; and it was his recognition of this fact which enabled him to do daily those works which we as Christian Scientists are so desirous of emulating.

As Christian Scientists, then, we too should be daily and hourly cognizant of the fact that God is the origin and source of all right activity, and that there is no possible way for any one of us to become an originator, or to be in any way responsible for aught but the proving that we are the expression of God, infinite good. The By-law in the Manual of The Mother Church (p. 42) which reads in part, "It shall be the duty of every member of this Church to defend himself daily against aggressive mental suggestion, and not be made to forget nor to neglect his duty to God, to his Leader, and to mankind," includes the important word "daily," and involves orderly, systematic attention to our duty along these lines. The demand is made of every member of The Mother Church to be faithful to this By-law, and, as in all cases where we as Christian Scientists are asked to be faithful, there is a rich reward for obedience.

Daily, therefore, we look first to God in gratitude and love for our supply of good, holiness, happiness, and the opportunity and ability to help and heal. Then, according to the By-law above quoted, our next duty is clearly to our Leader. We should remember daily, and with true humility, that we are Christian Scientists because Mrs. Eddy discovered and presented to us the law of God which Jesus practiced, and by which he did his healing work. In these days of organized effort in certain quarters to prevent the practice of Christian Science, as taught by Mrs. Eddy, and to hinder its demonstration, we, as Christian Scientists, wherever we may be in the field, should give earnest attention to our attitude toward and gratitude for Mrs. Eddy. When Christian Scientists find themselves facing problems to-day, either physical, financial, domestic, or otherwise, it might be well to ascertain whether there is within the mentality any unconscious questioning of Mrs. Eddy's place in the Christian Science movement.

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