Article July 2, 1927 Issue

"Immortal memory" of True Selfhood

EDMUND HOGG

There is an arresting marginal heading, "Immortal memory," on page 407 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy. Christian Science teaches that God, good, is the only Mind. From this premise it follows that good alone is actual. Since God is complete in His own allness, there can be no real activity but that of immortal goodness and truth. Since God is "in Himself only" (Unity of Good, p. 3), it follows that infinite good belongs to God. Omniscience being God's attribute, He must remember His own infinity, expressed in the infinitude of His perfect ideas. This, like every other view of Truth, is divinely metaphysical, and has its perfect application to human experience, whereby harmony may be demonstrated.

The context contiguous to the marginal heading referred to is as follows: "No faculty of Mind is lost. In Science, all being is eternal, spiritual, perfect, harmonious in every action. Let the perfect model be present in your thoughts instead of its demoralized opposite. This spiritualization of thought lets in the light, and brings the divine Mind, Life not death, into your consciousness." This passage of our revered Leader may be said to be closely related to the Master's parable of the prodigal son.

No one can read so profound and touching a narrative as this perhaps greatest short story ever written without finding in some degree an analogy therein to his individual experience. It was the fadeless memory of his father's house that caused the prodigal to turn from the husks of materiality with loathing. Is not this indicative of the wondrous fact of God's eternal love, that all will be compelled (through suffering, if not by Science) to retrace false steps and find anew the ever open way to the Father's love? The prodigal's memory of his father's house and the beauty of the sinless days spent there as the loved son, first caused him to turn away from evil and, in humility, seek his rightful home, with the intention of requesting reinstatement there in the capacity of one "that serveth," and not as his father's son. We all know the happy sequel, with the strains of music and the sounds of rejoicing.

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