Love's Liberation

W. Stuart Booth

Many students of the Bible have been encouraged and inspired by the account of the experience of Paul and Silas in Philippi, where they made converts to Christianity by their healing and preaching. One of those healed was a woman "possessed with a spirit of divination ... which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying." Paul's understanding of divine Mind's omnipotence rebuked and annulled that phase of human belief and the woman was freed. Those who had been exploiting her were so resentful that they were instrumental in having Paul and Silas cast into prison. But even there those Christian worthies were undaunted and undismayed, for it is recorded that at midnight they sang praises to God and prayed; "and suddenly there was a great earthquake, ... and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed."

Thus Paul and Silas acted Christianly and scientifically. They were true Christian metaphysicians, dealing with thoughts, not with men or matter. Their spiritual and scientific understanding protected them from being resentful towards those who had persecuted them, for they recognized that the cause of their unjust imprisonment lay in such mortal mind thoughts as hatred, selfishness, greed, human will, and fear. Although these errors had found response in and had used their persecutors, Paul and Silas must have seen evil as false belief, entirely separate from man, which enabled them to deal with it successfully.

Since hate, selfishness, and the like were responsible for their incarceration, it was evident that their liberation could come only through the opposite spiritual ideas. So they prayed, communed with God, who is the source of all true ideas, and sang praises to the Giver of all good. Their resultant deliverance proved that evil thoughts have no Principle, and are supported only by human belief; whereas the spiritual ideas of forgiveness, mercy, peace, and trust in good, being expressive of God, divine Principle, are always supported and enforced by omnipotence. The reflection of divine Love or expression of Love's qualities by Paul and Silas served to bring them into line with Love's law of liberty, which is ever operative in behalf of all mankind.

God's revelation of Himself and His law, Christian Science, through Mary Baker Eddy has made divine Love's liberating law and power available to this and future ages, so that the bonds of sin, sorrow, sickness, fear, and lack are today being stricken from the thought of mankind. Many Christian Scientists have had the joyous experience of gaining release from bondage to some disease or other discord when, even at the seeming darkest hour, they have turned away from personal sense testimony to God through prayer and praise. Even though their problem has arisen through injustice and hate, the same liberating law of Love which broke the bonds for Paul and Silas has been found to be irresistibly operative. Truly has Mrs. Eddy stated in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 277), "Love is especially near in times of hate, and never so near as when one can be just amid lawlessness, and render good for evil."

But how can one be forgiving and kind to another whose attitude and actions denote injustice and evil? Christian Science teaches that nothing is true of anyone which does not express Truth and Love, which does not image forth God and His goodness. Therefore fear, injustice, selfishness—all discord and evil—are to be classified and dealt with as errors which are not to be regarded as personal, even though some may accept and express them. Thus they can be rebuked, reversed, and replaced with true ideas, such as mercy, forgiveness, and gratitude. This Christianly scientific method enables us to love, and thus lose our sense of enmity and thereby prove Love's liberating influence. Because justice is a quality of God and is inseparable from divine Principle, we prove God's very presence as we are conscious of and reflect this and other qualities of divine Love.

God's law of freedom and harmony is also operative for and is available to those enslaved by sickness, even as Christ Jesus stated and proved. In the chapter entitled "Christian Science Practice" in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy reveals fear as one of the main causes of sickness. Surely there can be no more effective antidote for fear than Love and its reflection, for John states that "there is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear." It is evident that all fear is engendered by the belief that evil has power. Therein is the fallacy of fear disclosed; for the omnipotence of God, good, proclaimed and practiced by Christ Jesus is proved by Christian Science to be an ever operative and irresistible law of life and liberty, of harmony and health, available to all who are willing to relinquish material beliefs and replace them with qualities of divine Love.

No matter how dark the prospect or form of bondage to which one may seem to be subjected, if one will but praise God consistently in thought, word, and action, it will be proved to him that "Love is the liberator" (Science and Health, p. 225).

W. Stuart Booth

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