Expectancy of Good

Duncan Sinclair

"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." The Psalmist laments his despondency and disquietude; but immediately thereafter, as he sees God as his healer, hope springs up in his heart and he foresees the time when he shall give praise to the Almighty. How strongly does the Psalmist resemble ourselves! Think of the depths of depression into which sickness may seem to sink mankind, the depths of woe into which sin may appear to drag mortals! Yet, notwithstanding, there are few who are without hope, few who do not look forward to ultimate freedom. Mrs. Eddy writes on page 536 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures": "The way of error is awful to contemplate. The illusion of sin is without hope or God." But let the one in error or sin catch but a glimpse of the illusory nature of evil, and hope immediately begins to break upon the darkness.

While it is well that men should be hopeful, this in itself is not sufficient; they must gain the assurance that their hope will attain to fruition. They must achieve the certainty that there is a way for them out of the sorrow, suffering, and sin of mortal existence. Many have turned to some form of religion to this end; but how often, while they may have received a measure of consolation, and even of peace, it has failed to bring their hope to fruitage, failed even to satisfy them! Christianity is able to satisfy to the utmost, but it has to be admitted that as Christianity has been interpreted by many it has not succeeded in doing so. On pages 65 and 66 of "Retrospection and Introspection" Mrs. Eddy writes, "Christianity reveals God as ever-present Truth and Love, to be utilized in healing the sick, in casting out error, in raising the dead." She is here referring to Christianity as understood in Christian Science.

On page 66 of the book from which quotation has just been made our Leader goes on to say: "Christian Science gives vitality to religion, which is no longer buried in materiality. It raises men from a material sense into the spiritual understanding and scientific demonstration of God." This states concisely what Christian Science will do for all who come to it humbly and expectantly. It will give them the spiritual understanding which will enable them to break the bonds of material thinking and liberate them from its effects. And spiritual understanding is the knowledge of God and His universe, including man.

Christian Science promises great things to men—healing from disease and sin, release from despondency, sorrow, and the sense of loss. Moreover, it holds out the assurance of the overcoming of death; and all this through spiritual understanding. That Christian Science heals disease has been abundantly proved: throughout the world today there are thousands of men, women, and children who are living witnesses to the healing power of Truth as Christian Science reveals it; thousands who have been healed of sin in like manner; thousands who have been rescued from death itself at what seemed the last moment. And what a multitude can testify to the consolation and peace which Christian Science has given them when they were in the depths of despair! What a multitude, too, can with joy and gladness of heart vouch for the large measure of fulfillment of their hopes it has brought them!

Christian Science teaches its students to expect the utmost measure of good in their lives. It could not do otherwise, since it reveals the truth that God is infinite good. What a truth is this! But how feebly we seem oftentimes to realize it! Yet, at times it will flood our consciousness, and then the false beliefs of evil, the erroneous beliefs of material sense, are swept away. Since God is infinite good, naught but good in reality exists. If we realized this continually, we should always be protected from evil.

As Christian Scientists, then, we must be expectant of good, for it would be illogical to be otherwise. Consider what it would mean were we constantly anticipating good, constantly expecting to demonstrate good! Not only would it bring an untold measure of good into our own lives, but it would help to hold evil in check everywhere. It would relieve the burden of fear which weighs so heavily on mankind; it would aid in establishing health; it would induce a greater degree of brotherliness throughout the entire world. In short, the continual expectation of good, through the spiritual understanding which Christian Science gives of the allness of God, would not fail to bring, in the ratio of our understanding, the kingdom of heaven to earth.

Duncan Sinclair

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