"Thy kingdom come"

[Original article in German]

BERTA TRACHSLER

The foremost task of the present generation is to recognize that God, good, and His kingdom are the only realities, and that therefore only that which is constructive, elevating, regenerating, and purifying is real.

How is it, then, that men feel sick, poor, and miserable? This question is asked by many who are uninstructed in the teaching of Christian Science. Let us consider Mrs. Eddy's statement on page 473 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," "God is everywhere, and nothing apart from Him is present or has power." And again, on page 257 she writes, "If Mind is within and without all things, then all is Mind; and this definition is scientific." As long as men acknowledge evil as real, that is, admit that it has presence and might, they have not yet learned to acknowledge God as All-in-all, as omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient. As long as they admit the reality of anything that does not issue from one source of good, they are deceived into believing in a false, misleading presence and power.

Health does not need to be created anew. Through thought spiritually led, however, an individual gains the recognition of health as the true spiritual state of man, which eternally exists in divine Mind. Sickness and lack of every kind are thus proved to be unreal conditions of the so-called material senses, and not spiritual realities.

Another passage from the textbook (p. 182) reads, "The demands of God appeal to thought only." This points to an absolute fact; for since God is Spirit, He imparts spiritual ideas, and since God is good, these ideas are divinely pure and good, coming from the Mind that is God.

When Jesus admonished his disciples, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you," he could have had no other meaning than that his followers' foremost desire should be to receive healthful, pure, helpful, and hallowing ideas from the Father, divine Mind; and these divine ideas may be used for the benefit of mankind, hungering for Truth. Even Jesus, the greatest of all teachers, sometimes withdrew from the crowds that he might draw still nearer to the Father and so gain new, helpful, directing ideas to be used for the benefit of those in need.

To live according to the example of Jesus would mean to achieve the understanding of true selfhood as a reflection of divine Mind. Therefore, the greatest need of mankind is to strive for abundance of spiritual ideas, through the use of which one obeys God's commandments. For it is our Father's good pleasure to give us the kingdom, the light whereby to recognize clearly our sonship with God.

God's loving provision for His children cannot find expression in any better way than in the conscious recognition and reflection of His spiritual ideas. There must be no unused talent in our lives. Truth is revealed in Christian Science, and we must practice it. The divine Mind knows no lack, sin, sickness, and death. These errors are mental delusions of the material senses. The divine Mind knows only the spiritual abundance of the ideas of Life, Truth, and Love.

If God, divine Mind, included a single thought of lack, that would preclude perfection, a heaven of true thoughts. If it were not a fact that "all is Infinite Mind and its infinite manifestation, for God is All-in-all" (Science and Health, p. 468), there would not be perfect being. If God were limited, lack would then be known to God, and would continue forever. But God's all-loving presence includes and imparts the infinite abundance of spiritual ideas. God, divine Mind, gives us these true ideas, and as we accept and apply them we find our daily supplies made manifest.

As each one accepts without prejudice the teaching of Christian Science, learns to understand and conscientiously apply it, he sees in each of his fellow men a fellow heir of Christ, Truth. The time for this vision has come. The statement concerning the universe of God is even now being verified: "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God."

Send a comment to the editors

We'd love to hear from you!

Easily submit your testimonies, articles, and poems online.

Submit