Stepping-Stones

HOWARD S. REED

Christian Science is bringing home to us to-day what Moses endeavored to bring home to the children of Israel many centuries ago—the fact that the protection and loving care of God must be demonstrated by each one individually, irrespective of environment or any material condition. After depicting the blessings following obedience, and the consequences of disobedience, Moses declared: "This commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven. ... Neither is it beyond the sea. ... But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it." Surely, this is a call to each and every one to consider.

Every individual has his own thoughts; and the only one who should have control over those thoughts ought to be the one thinking them. Moreover, the thoughts which one is thinking to-day help to determine one's condition to-morrow. Each individual must be regarded as responsible for his own thinking.

We are not obliged to take everything that is offered us; we are free to accept or reject as we see and and we do not posses anything until we have accepted it. As the goods we take into stock, so are the goods we dispense; and upon the quality of the goods we dispense depend the tone of our business and the nature of our business relations. We are "like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old." Should one take into stock anything below standard, this condition will tend to permeate the whole storeroom.

Thoughts continually present themselves for our consideration, and we are free to accept or reject any of these that come before our notice; but no thought can influence us until we have accepted it, taken it into our mental storehouse, our consciousness. As occasion demands, we draw on our stock, be it good, bad, or indifferent. But one thing is very certain: we cannot draw upon that which we have not. We cannot hand out that which has not been received. Christ Jesus said, "A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things." To be about the Father's business involves the necessity of examining each thought that presents itself, and taking into stock only that which is of God, good. In this way only can we work out our own salvation.

Under the heading, "Scientific Translation of Mortal Mind," on page 115 of Science and Health, Mrs. Eddy places very clearly before us the standard by which we are to judge. She first enumerates unreal conditions as "evil beliefs, passions and appetites, fear, depraved will, self-justification, pride, envy, deceit, hatred, revenge, sin, sickness, disease, death." Such belief admitted into thought disturb our atmosphere with discord and uneasiness, attract other elements of like nature, and may be manifested in outward inharmonious conditions. By rejecting these beliefs we are barring our door against evil intruders; and thus debarred they cannot disturb our peace.

The work is not completed, however, by the rejection of these beliefs, which may continue to attract our attention; they may continue knocking at the door of our mentality. The next step is to call to our aid thoughts which Mrs. Eddy enumerates under the marginal heading, "Transitional qualities" (ibid.) Such as "humanity, honesty, affection, compassion, hope, faith, meekness, temperance." These qualities, entertained, turn us away from the clamor of mortal mind and point toward the peace and harmony of Spirit, "the secret place of the most High."

Under the marginal heading "Reality" (ibid., p. 116) Mrs. Eddy defines the "Third Degree" as "wisdom, purity, spiritual understanding, spiritual power, love, health, holiness." Continuing, she says, "In the third degree mortal mind disappears, and man as God's image appears." Thus the way of salvation is mapped out for us to-day, being disclosed as the mental process of replacing evil belief with the ideas which emanate from God, perfect and infinite Mind.

Within our storehouse, our mentality, hidden away in various odd corners, are evil beliefs of different sorts, but they cannot remain hidden if we are doing our best to keep our thoughts clean; and as each false belief comes to light, then is the time for us to turn it out and to replace it with "transitional qualities," which will carry us on towards reality.

We may not jump from evil to good at a single bound. In consequence, we have to take each step in its right order; and the "transitional qualities" are the stepping-stones by which we cross from unreality to reality, from sense to Soul. These qualities bridge the turbulent waters of evil, lift us above the mists of material sense, and "man as God's image appears."

Thus are the eyes of students of Christian Science opened to the great necessity of maintaining guard against evil belief and keeping watch over thought, according to the wisdom of David's admonition contained in the thirty-seventh psalm: "Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."

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Reflecting the Divine

February 9, 1929

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