Article April 25, 1931 Issue

Economy

INEZ FIELD DAMON

Mary Baker Eddy , the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, writes in the Manual of The Mother Church (Art. XXIV, Sect. 5), "God requires wisdom, economy, and brotherly love to characterize all the proceedings of the members of The Mother Church, The First Church of Christ, Scientist." The use of the word "economy" in this quotation was a challenge to the thought of one student. To her, economy had always meant something disagreeable, a deadening deprivation of all but actual necessities, a joyless withholding, an ever pursuing "Thou shalt not."

Realizing, however, Mrs. Eddy's accurate use of words, this student turned to a dictionary and found the word "economy" defined in part as follows: "Orderly arrangement and management of the affairs of a community, estate, or establishment, directly concerned with its maintenance or productiveness.... Thrifty and careful administration; management without loss or waste." Surely here was nothing of joylessness and deprivation—only a call to intelligent mental activity. It was also noted that the dictionary made a distinction between "economy" and "parsimony," the latter being defined in part as "reprehensively excessive frugality; stinginess; niggardliness."

Thought was then directed to the demonstrations of Jesus the Christ, the Way-shower, to see what the nature of his economy was. An outstanding instance of "management without loss or waste" was on the occasion of his feeding the thousands with a few loaves and fishes, as narrated in the sixth chapter of John. After this unparalleled demonstration of supply his command was, "Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost." Surely this was the very essence of economy, an economy based not upon lack, but rather upon the understanding of the nature of true supply. The fragments were not to be saved because there was no more food to be obtained, but because care and respect should be shown this manifestation of God's goodness.

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