Love in Practice

ADDINGTON CHARLES CRONK

FROM the heart that is awakening to the demands of Love there often comes the question, "How can I most effectively help my fellow man?" What Godlike qualities should I express in order to lift the burden of illusion from my brother's thought? We see around us those who are bowed beneath beliefs of fear, lack, sin, and disease, and yearn to bring to them the knowledge of the truth which has been revealed to the world in Christian Science. We think of our own healings, of the joys and blessings that this truth has brought to countless others, and naturally we long for all to waken to the assurance of their sonship with God and to enter into this "glorious liberty." How can we help?

Gratefully we turn to Christ Jesus, the Way-shower, humbly studying his way of dealing with men and the spirit which he manifested. Christ Jesus expressed the highest degree of the perfection of being that the world has ever known. And a remarkable feature of his life was his attitude of opposition towards everything that tended to impress human thought with anything unlike good. He unquestionably revealed God, the Father of all, as Love, and it is the exquisite expression of Love which he gave that has so largely won the world to the acceptance of his teachings and his works.

But is mankind benefiting to the fullest extent by those teachings and works? If not, is this not because humanity does not understand aright the nature of divine Life and Love? Have not many human beings a sense of having been forsaken by God? Christianity's mission is to dispel all such illusions. One of the impediments to a true understanding of the situation is the fact that humanity believes evil to be as real as good; hence the need of cleansing human thought of this false belief in evil. This can be done only through loving compassion, based on the revelation and demonstration of the truth that good is the only reality.

The mere abstract statement that God, good, is All does not of itself banish the errors of sense. It needs to be united with the spirit that Jesus showed to the world, a spirit worthy of far more consideration than is generally given to it. His daily life expressed his consciousness of the fullness of good. But while he sublimely dwelt in Spirit, in his human ministry he mingled with those troubled by sins, sorrows, falsities, and material thoughts.

Jesus was able to do this because of his unfailing faith in good and his unbounded love for God and humanity. Our Leader expressed these same loving qualities in her life-work. Neither the Master nor this faithful follower in his footsteps forsook humanity, or looked with cold aloofness upon its struggles and errors. They strove to "loose the bands of wickedness" and uplift human thought into the understanding and demonstration of the good and divine.

One whose thought is not based upon the infinite perfection of God and man accepts error as real; and, however good his intention, may either dole out cold platitudes to those needing help, or fail to see a way in which help can be obtained. But no situation is beyond the power of God. Truth is ever present, and there is always a way for Truth to dispel error of every kind.

"Love never faileth," said St. Paul. Certainly divine Love never forsakes any of its ideas. Therefore no human being should ever despair of Love's being able to reach him, or fear that the power of Love is inadequate to bring into his life the good of which Love's very nature is constituted. Does one ever fear that light will fail to give light? No! So the great need is to be conscious of the presence of sufficient light for any purpose. Light is no different, whether it is shining in a palace, a prison, or a park. The same is true of the understanding of the infinite power and ever-presence of God, good.

In writing of the beautiful story which tells how Jesus dealt with one looked upon as a sinner, Mrs. Eddy asks in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 363): "Did Jesus spurn the woman? Did he repel her adoration? No! He regarded her compassionately." What a wonderful transformation of character took place as a result of that compassion and clear vision! And in the parable of the prodigal son, when the son was yet "a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him." This beautiful healing spirit taught and manifested by Jesus is a combination of qualities, including love, friendship, compassion.

And is not the reflection of true Love what the world so much needs today? This assurance is found in Science and Health (p. 494): "Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need. It is not well to imagine that Jesus demonstrated the divine power to heal only for a select number or for a limited period of time, since to all mankind and in every hour, divine Love supplies all good."

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