Editorial May 19, 1928 Issue

Unwinding Snarls

Ella W. Hoag

In order to unwind a snarl properly one must begin at the end rather than at the beginning. While this requires much patient effort, it may always be successfully done. Indeed, it makes little difference how complicated the snarl may appear, to untwine each strand in its own time and place will finally result in the disentanglement of the whole. Such a careful method as this makes it possible not only to separate wisely and well, but to exclude from the final result all that is undesirable. If, on the other hand, one attempts to hasten matters by pulling one strand too hastily or by the ruthless breaking off of another, the final adjustment is not only greatly hindered, but also marred.

In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 240) Mrs. Eddy has written, "The divine method of paying sin's wages involves unwinding one's snarls, and learning from experience how to divide between sense and Soul." While the separation of one's mental mistakes from his right thinking may not seem so simple as is the unsnarling of string, nevertheless the process certainly needs similar mental qualities, for in both instances patience and obedience are needed to bring about satisfactory results.

There is no question but that the indulgence of evil beliefs and practices brings about much tangled thinking. Since error is entirely apart from Principle, it can have no truly direct aim or purpose, but is continually starting off in some unintended direction, often running hither and yon with resulting confusion. Then consternation ensues, and one would like to jump quickly back to the beginning of his mistake and start over again. In some rare instances this may seem to be possible. Most frequently, however, the wiser plan is to retrace one's steps patiently and carefully, by reversing each wrong thought where it has seemed to occur and by establishing each right thought more positively in consciousness. One may thus learn from experience the valuable lesson that error's paths are long and devious, and that they must be retraced if one would again win the starting point for right endeavor.

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