Article June 3, 1933 Issue

One Increasing Purpose

ARTHUR NOËL SHAW

On page 207 of "Miscellaneous Writings" Mrs. Eddy invites her students to drink with her the living waters of the spirit of her "life-purpose," which she defines as follows: "To impress humanity with the genuine recognition of practical, operative Christian Science."

Opportunity is provided for members of The Mother Church to attend the Annual Meeting held in Boston, and the writer once accepted this privilege, with the result that a deeper insight was gained into the various activities founded by our Leader, and the significance of her life-purpose was more deeply than ever before impressed in thought.

Standing within The Mother Church on Annual Meeting day, listening to the singing of the hymns by five thousand members drawn by one divine impulse of gratitude from the four corners of the civilized world, is an experience to be treasured as outstanding with any Christian Scientist. It seems a far cry from the time when there was only one Christian Scientist to the present time when "practical, operative Christian Science" is genuinely recognized by thousands of people who have experienced its beneficent healing power. Yet the intervening period has proved that not only has our Leader's life-purpose been in a measure carried out, but that it is also being gradually yet certainly fulfilled as time goes on. Mrs. Eddy's desire for her students as expressed in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 367) comes quickly to mind: "'Ye are the salt of the earth.' 'Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.' Let us watch. work, and pray that this salt lose not its saltness, and that this light be not hid, but radiate and glow into noontide glory." Surely here are proofs that the potency of Truth has not lost its efficacy, and that the light of Truth is glowing with all the glory of accomplishments successfully undertaken in the past, and the promise of "greater works" to be joyously undertaken in due course.

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