Editorial September 24, 1932 Issue

Fear Not!

Duncan Sinclair

"Fear ," writes Mrs. Eddy (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 532), "was the first manifestation of the error of material sense." What a light her words throw on the question of fear! Material sense, then, is the culprit. The sense that apparently tells us of matter and informs us of material phenomena and material law, that seems to acquaint us with sickness and accident, this so-called sense is at the root of all fear and inharmony. When this is recognized, it becomes plain that the way to master fear is to gain an understanding of the erroneous nature of material sense, its altogether unreal nature, through the knowledge which Christian Science imparts that spiritual sense alone is real, and alone can acquaint us with that which is absolutely true.

"I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me," sings the Psalmist in the twentythird Psalm. What enabled the Psalmist to attain to this state of calm, this freedom from fear of evil? There can be but one answer: he had gained an understanding of God which assured him of the presence with him of the Almighty, and a faith in the power of God to protect him from evil. All who would be rid of fear should come to know God as infinite Life, Truth, Love, infinite good, even as Christian Science teaches; for then they will perceive the unreality of evil to which material sense seems to testify, and so lose fear of evil.

Again, consider the question of fear in the light of the knowledge of God as infinite Love. What a knowledge is this! What reverence for God it inspires within us! God, our Father-Mother, is infinite unchanging Love. Then, can His children possibly have any reason to fear? No; because in true spiritual being every idea is governed, protected, and continually blessed by God, infinite Love. When one perceives these great basic spiritual truths, how easy it is to understand the baseless nature of fear; yes, to comprehend that fear belongs to the unreal realm of material sense!

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