Editorial June 24, 1933 Issue

The Gospel of Great Joy

W. Stuart Booth

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE is indeed the gospel of great joy, for it reaffirms and explains scientifically the spiritual truths taught by Christ Jesus, and substantiates its joyous message by means of the healing works which the Master said should characterize those who believe on him. To those uninstructed by Christian Science who believe that evil is as real as good, that mankind is dependent upon matter for life and happiness, that disease and death are inevitable, and that heaven is problematical and post-mortem—to such the true sense of joy must seem precarious, if not quite unattainable.

But the teachings of Christ Jesus, as restated and clarified by Christian Science, deny the belief in and fear of evil from the demonstrated spiritual basis that God, good, is omnipotent—all-powerful and the only power. By drawing consistent deductions from the Master's teachings Christian Science declares that individual man, made in the image and likeness of God, Spirit, divine Mind, is a spiritually mental being living in the realm of pure and perfect consciousness, wherein are everlasting health, happiness, and harmony. Christian Science further declares and demonstrates that the understanding and application of these spiritual truths enables men to verify Christ Jesus' statement that "the kingdom of heaven is at hand," for the applied understanding of Christian Science redeems men from sin and sorrow, from disease and discord. As Isaiah said, "The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."

Due, however, to false education and the tenacity of mortal beliefs, men are prone to seek happiness and health in matter instead of looking to God, the infinite and impartial bestower of all good, including health and joy. But non-intelligent, inert matter cannot possibly impart that which it does not possess—purity, peace, power, perfection. Dependence upon matter, therefore, leads to disappointment and loss of human hopes, happiness, and peace. Yet, as Mrs. Eddy says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (pp. 265, 266): "The loss of earthly hopes and pleasures brightens the ascending path of many a heart.... The pains of sense are salutary, if they wrench away false pleasurable beliefs and transplant the affections from sense to Soul, where the creations of God are good, 'rejoicing the heart.' "

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