Editorial August 9, 1930 Issue

The Loving-Kindness of God

Duncan Sinclair

On page 312 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy writes, "Mortals believe in a finite personal God; while God is infinite Love, which must be unlimited." What a sublime truth, that God is infinite Love! But how difficult at times it seems for mortals to break away from their finite, limited concept of Deity, notwithstanding the fact that these concepts fetter them so grievously! To think of God as finite is to believe that the power of good is limited, that intelligence is circumscribed, that divine Love is inadequate to meet all the needs of humanity. To think of God as finite is in belief to cut one's self adrift from His ever present resources; whereas, to know Him as infinite Love and intelligence is to invoke the law which makes the unlimited divine resources of good available.

God is Love. Surely we cannot desire Him to be more than infinite Love! What does the fact imply? That God's creation is cared for with a tenderness far beyond human comprehension; that God's creation is perfectly protected, perfectly sustained, and that its immortality is therefore ensured. Mrs. Eddy gave the name of Father-Mother to Deity, thereby emphasizing the loving relationship between Him and His creation. She says (Science and Health, p. 332), "Father-Mother is the name for Deity, which indicates His tender relationship to His spiritual creation." What a relationship is this, embodying as it does every attribute of good!

But someone may ask, If God is Love, if His tenderness, His loving-kindness, extends to His entire creation, how are we to account for the suffering in the world; for the disease that oftentimes so seriously oppresses mankind, for the sin that impairs the usefulness of so many lives? How are we to reconcile the teaching that God is Love with the hatred, jealousy, envy, malice, and strife which seem to play such havoc with the sweetness and joy of life? Christian Science replies that all the suffering, all the sin and disease, all the evil thinking of the world is erroneous or unreal, since God is infinite Love; and it affirms that as this is seen and acknowledged by men, they are proportionately saved from sinful or diseased beliefs.

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