Article December 3, 1932 Issue

The Foundations of Fellowship

ETHEL MUNRO GOSS

The revelation of Christian Science has established a standard for Christian fellowship which, when obeyed, brings into human experience the happy condition indicated by the Psalmist when he exclaimed, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" Possibly nothing is dearer to the heart of the earnest student of Christian Science than to see the ideal of unity demonstrated. But in his experience of church membership, this ideal may seem far from being manifested, and the new member may at times be disturbed because complete unity is not always displayed there.

The consecrated and conscientious Christian Scientist, however, soon discovers that the first step towards the desired unity must be taken in his own consciousness. That is, each one must find and demonstrate his own unity with God and His ideas.

In the proportion that we come closer to God, divine Principle, we come closer to others who are doing likewise. A simple illustration of this may be found by considering a circle with lines emanating like rays from the center. The nearer the rays are to the center, the nearer they are to one another. The farther they are from the center, the farther they are from one another. Mrs. Eddy writes in "Retrospection and Introspection" (p. 76), "The spiritually minded meet on the stairs which lead up to spiritual love." John also indicated his recognition of this basis for spiritual unity when he wrote, "If we walk in the light, ... we have fellowship one with another."

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