Editorial December 27, 1930 Issue

The Mighty Rebuke

Violet Ker Seymer

Every rebuke administered by the Christian Scientist at the right time and in a healing spirit should leave the individual with a sense of having been freed from some incubus, and so brought nearer the realization of his spiritual identity. The one legitimate purpose and effect of the true rebuke is to liberate and bless. Mortals in general are too tolerant of the false claim of evil. But Christian Science, the revelation of omnipotent good, is intolerant of evil and destroys it.

Truth's mighty reproof may need a human mouthpiece until a person's understanding of divine Principle has reached a certain point. Paul bade Timothy "reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." The true rebuke has in it no personal element or bias and no impatience. If it had, its low level would not raise the mental level of the afflicted one. When he undertakes to rebuke error in another, the Christian Scientist must therefore ascertain beyond question that he is animated solely by divine Love and wisdom. He must divest himself of any sense of mortal self-righteousness, personal superiority, or domination, and honestly analyze his own mental condition. In accordance with our Master's command concerning the beam and the mote, he must not administer the rebuke of Truth until he has himself striven and risen to see the impotence, unreality, futility of the error in question. On page 13 of "No and Yes" Mrs. Eddy writes, "This Science rebukes sin with its own nothingness, and thus destroys sin quickly and utterly." Should one still regard error as something tangible and powerful, —instead of a futile mental suggestion, —he has not the clear vision of good which alone can reduce discord to nothing for the patient.

The complete destruction of every belief of sin, sickness, life in matter, is what the student of Christian Science is striving for. To this end he gladly lifts his thoughts and desires to pure Mind and allows neither shame, pride, dejection, nor fear to hinder him from coming boldly and constantly to the throne of grace. Whoever is honestly determined to put off the mortal concept of himself at all points in favor of the immortal will not fear the rebuke of divine Love, knowing that it destroys in him only that which is unlovely. Truth's rebuke of error brings into relief the identity and harmony of spiritual man.

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