"Blessed are the merciful"

HARRY EDWARD DE LASAUX, JR.

The teachings of Christian Science about God and man are so clearly and definitely in line with those of the Bible that they have not only brought healing and joy to a great multitude in this age, but have also revealed to the hungering heart the exact meanings of the Scriptures. Christian Science throws such a clear light upon the teachings of the Bible that anyone may thereby free himself from the confusion of materialism, and thus rise not only above sickness, but destroy the root of sickness, namely, discordant thinking.

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." This is a practical and demonstrable rule. How many before accepting Christian Science have not only experienced difficulty in being merciful, but in many cases have not obtained mercy from others! Surely, if one is striving to be merciful and just in his human relationships, should he not rejoice in the fruition of this good work? Undoubtedly, the trouble has often been that mortals, unacquainted with the divine quality of mercy, have forgiven a wrong from a false basis, and from a mistaken sense of justice.

The first lesson we learn in Christian Science is that God made all, and made all good. He did not make any error, sin, or sickness, and He never made man to be discordant or unhappy. Furthermore, we learn that we can be rid of these different phases of error by seeing them as unreal beliefs, and by holding our thought to the truth about God and man. Therefore Christian Scientists, in striving to keep their thinking free from error, are learning to realize the truth of being in the face of error's false claims; and this simple process brings harmony in each particular experience. Such a method, when applied to human relationships, results, and always will result, in our being merciful and obtaining mercy.

Being merciful is being right in one's thinking. Many times the student of Christian Science may find himself dreaming of past incidents, wondering about future events, or brooding over unpleasant episodes. In these apathetic imaginings he may picture certain persons in various phases of unpleasantness. Such phantasies are erroneous, and they tend to shut out from consciousness those pure refreshing, active thoughts which are so necessary a part of the working out of our problems. Idle dwelling in dreams is simply misused activity. It is undesirable because it is of mortal mind, and mortal mind is itself unreal, a belief of discord. To be truly merciful, one must cast out error and think rightly. The reward is inspiration, progress, and the obtaining of mercy.

The most merciful man the world has ever known was Christ Jesus. His instantaneous healing of sickness and sin, his unfailing readiness to help men when they called upon him, his simple loving-kindness, which attracted even little children to him, were all manifestations of that immeasurable compassion which inspired every act in his career. His mercy was divine; it found expression in the beauty of his human character. To Jesus, there was no reality in impatience, resentment, gossip, or strife. And yet he went through many bitter experiences in the world, always expressing mercy, even healing a sword-wound for one of his tormentors!

Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, must surely have understood the divine quality of mercy, and must have discerned its beauty in the character of Jesus, for in her writings she has clearly analyzed this quality. In her essay "Love Your Enemies," which is found in "Miscellaneous Writings," she has written (p. 11), "We must love our enemies in all the manifestations wherein and whereby we love our friends; must even try not to expose their faults, but to do them good whenver opportunity occurs;" and on page 13 she says, "The only justice of which I feel at present capable, is mercy and charity toward every one,—just so far as one and all permit me to exercise these sentiments toward them,—taking special care to mind my own business." If we are truly merciful, and mind our own business,—which certainly includes our thinking,—we shall not only be merciful, but shall also obtain mercy; for then we shall be having one God, one Mind, and loving our neighbor as ourselves.

Copyright, 1929, by The Christian Science Publishing Society, Falmouth and St. Paul Streets, Boston, Massachusetts. Entered at Boston post office as second-class matter. Acceptance for mailing at a special rate of postage provided for in section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized on July 11, 1918.

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