Editorial January 3, 1931 Issue

Progress Spiritward

Duncan Sinclair

The Christian Scientist is eager to make spiritual progress. Through the understanding which Christian Science has given him of God and His creation—reality; through the knowledge which it has imparted to him of Spirit's allness and perfection, he has seen the unreal nature of materiality and its seeming effects, sin, disease, suffering, sorrow, and the like, and he would gain more of this understanding whereby to refute the arguments of material sense and overcome them. Progress in the understanding of real being is a question of great moment to the Christian Scientist. It is a vital question with him. Mrs. Eddy writes of progress on page 296 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," "It is the ripening of mortal man, through which the mortal is dropped for the immortal." As we read her words, those of Paul to the Corinthian church occur to us: "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality."

Certain things should happen as spiritual progress is made. First, it should be easier to think spiritually and to rise above the temptations of material sense. The student of Christian Science is constantly turning his thought Spirit-ward, constantly dwelling in thought on spiritual truth, constantly affirming this truth, with the result that he is progressively rising above the belief that matter is real. Before he knew of Christian Science and gained an understanding of God and His spiritual creation, probably he was almost continually thinking along material lines; but that is changed, for now he knows that Spirit and Spirit's creation alone are real, and that the material sense of creation is utterly false. And as he progresses he acquires a greater facility in handling the seeming effects of material belief, overcomes sickness and sin more readily, and is better able to protect himself against them.

Next, as the Christian Scientist progresses spiritually, the inspirational supersedes the scholastic—something greatly to be desired! Why? Because unaided human reason is incapable of discerning spiritual truth, even that truth which may be instantaneously revealed through inspiration. To comprehend this one has but to consider the fact that the spiritualized consciousness, which results from the understanding of Truth as revealed by Christian Science, enables one to perceive the nature of the real creation with great clarity; whereas scholasticism, as represented by natural science, is still uncertain of it, notwithstanding its patient efforts. The inspirational value of spiritualized consciousness cannot be discounted, since throughout human history it has served to illumine the darkness of so-called material existence, and through it spiritual reality has been revealed to men.

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The Way Out
January 3, 1931
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