Editorial January 14, 1928 Issue

With God's Help, or Without?

Albert F. Gilmore

Mrs. Eddy's facility in sententious expression was extraordinary. Many of her brief sentences carry a great load of meaning. A sentence in the form of an exhortation brimming with significance appears on page 197 of "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany": "Attempt nothing without God's help." How like the admonitions which fell from the lips of the prophets of old! "Attempt nothing without God's help"! The implication plainly is that God's help is available and with it all things are possible; and, conversely, that without His aid nothing worthy can be accomplished.

Mortals pay all too little heed to the fundamental facts of being: that God is omnipresent and omnipotent; that God is Love; that He is the only creator of the universe; and that in consequence He is at hand, available to meet every human need. A mortal becomes accustomed to think of himself as man and as doing something of himself, even perhaps as the creator and ruler of others. Along with his increasing sense of dominion he has, however, grown into the habit of circumscribing his powers and of limiting his capacities, thus defeating the very self-sufficiency which he so much desires to realize. In consequence, mortal existence often goes out in darkness and disappointment. Why? Because mortals seem to forget God; or at least they fail to bring Him into their daily round of affairs as their best friend, as the safe guide, the ever present helper, and the only real power. All the failures in human lives arise from lack of understanding God and neglect to apply this knowledge to the practical solution of life's problems.

As we put into operation our Leader's admonition, however, failures cease to harass, harmony becomes manifest as the true state of being, and success ensues. To accomplish this we are required to relinquish belief in human power or capability. There cannot be omniscience and other minds than the one Mind, each claiming prerogatives of its own; there can be no power apart from omnipotence. All faith in a self apart from God must be abandoned and man recognized as he is, the son of the infinite Father. Such recognition refutes the false claims of human selfhood and posits all being with God.

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No Curse on Man
January 14, 1928
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