Article September 29, 1928 Issue

Divine Love

ALFRED MARSHALL VAUGHN

Love is a wonderful word: it is one of the names of our Father-Mother God. The beautiful and inspired interpretation of "Hallowed be thy name" in the Lord's Prayer, which our revered Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, has given us in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 16), is this phrase of praise—"Adorable One."

It is divine Love that heals, purifies, uplifts, gives us our daily supply, and ever gives us the consciousness of joy, freedom, and peace. It is to this Love that we turn for help in every need; and it is Love that ever delivers us from our fears and troubles, for Love is ever present; and Love cannot fail. The Psalmist, glimpsing the ever-presence, ever-availability, and all-power of God, divine Love, asked: "Whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there." He also declared: "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust."

Among the qualities which enable us to understand that God is Love are purity, forgiveness, gratitude, patience, and humility. It is plain that when one is angry, he cannot feel that God is Love. Anger is a form of hate; and if one is entertaining hate in his consciousness, he cannot know that God is Love. In like manner, impurity, ingratitude, pride, and impatience keep us from being conscious of the fact that God is Love. Mrs. Eddy writes on page 569 of Science and Health, "He that touches the hem of Christ's robe and masters his mortal beliefs, animality and hate, rejoices in the proof of healing,—in a sweet and certain sense that God is Love." And the beloved disciple John writes, "If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us." Christ Jesus, who understood God as Love better than all others, was ever forgiving, grateful, pure, patient, and humble. In the lesson brought out in the washing of the disciples' feet he showed the need of humility. In speaking of forgiveness, he said we should forgive "until seventy times seven," or, in other words, until we realize there is nothing to forgive, since God, divine Love, is All. In his wonderful sermon the Master said, "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."

Send a comment to the editors