Fields Already White to Harvest

MARIAN L. PIERCE

The great Teacher, Christ Jesus, was a master of simple language. He drew his sublime lessons from life as it appeared around him. His examples were taken from nature. His figures of speech were drawn from familiar everyday things that called for little or no explanation.

When his listeners needed a lesson in diligence, knowing the mortal tendency to procrastination he said to his disciples, "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest." No one who heard the Saviour needed to be told that delays are costly in harvest time. One of the oldest community practices is the rallying of neighbors to garner the ripened crops.

As recorded by John, the Master cried, "Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest." This statement may seem somewhat difficult to grasp. For how can the fields be "white already to harvest" when error, injustice, and wrong seem to abound; when they seem to be more garish with material indulgences than stainlessly white with ready-to-garner ripeness?

But the faithful and alert student of Christian Science is not to be baffled by confusion through seeming contradiction. He looks behind appearances to the reality of all things and asks himself, Am I doing the gathering in the right way, namely, by seeing my brother as perfect and as reflecting divine intelligence and love? To many a student this question has come at a time of discouragement and unfruitfulness. Then one sets about to demonstrate that even in the midst of barren material belief the fields "are white already." We must remember, however, that to us the fields are ripe only as we are wise, competent harvesters, reaping in the right way, reflecting in daily contacts the love we profess, and rejoicing as we gather in the sheaves of right resolve. Is not this the true gleaning of the harvest of which our beloved Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, speaks in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" when she says (p. 17), "Love is reflected in love"?

There are gleaning times also at our Wednesday evening testimony meetings, enriching the spiritual storehouse of all listeners by making channels of gratitude through which love may flow. Are we bringing out the harvest that is always in store for us at these times? Associated with the testimony meetings comes another sacred ingathering, namely, in the daily study of the Lesson-Sermons in the Christian Science Quarterly, which furnish spiritual food for our need and give us reinforcement with which to meet the inharmonies of human experience, and to uproot them as tares at the moment of their appearing, lest they take deeper root in our consciousness.

What more glorious fruitage could there be wherewith to reward the consecrated worker than the promise expressed in Jesus' parable, "Thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things"?

Above all, are we grateful for the Church Manual—Mrs. Eddy's gift—and for the periodicals, including The Christian Science Monitor, all of which are doing so much to-day for a weary world? Being grateful for and acknowledging Truth in all its ways will prove to us a great source of blessing; and we shall find such garnering constantly and instantly possible, with no putting off till a more convenient season, saying, "There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest."

Sometimes there is the temptation to forgo the reaping of the good for the current day. "By the street of 'By and by' one comes to the house of 'Never.'" We must have a care lest we be cheated of the passing day's ingathering.

If we are truly grateful for the truth, we shall never for a moment cease to do our duty as laborers in God's vineyard. Indeed, the whitened harvest is great; and should not all loyal Christian Scientists avail themselves daily and hourly of the challenge of the wonderful ripeness spread before them? As we do this we are proving to the world, as true Christians should, the truth of our Master's admonition, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

What a glorious privilege it is to be able to gather this precious "fruit of the Spirit" now, not waiting for some future time! Said a writer, "If there is any good deed I can do, or any good thing I can say, let me do and say it now, for I pass this way but once." In so doing we are availing ourselves of a God-given heritage which can never be taken away.

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit