Article March 24, 1934 Issue

Problems in Mathematics

[Written Especially for Young People]

CAROL E. BOOTH

A Young Christian Scientist who was attending school found it necessary to take an examination in arithmetic. Until that time her work in this subject had been average, but as she went up for the examination she became terror-stricken and believed that she knew nothing about arithmetic and could not remember what she had been taught. As a result she failed completely in the examination. Before the little girl left school that day the teacher, who was also a Christian Scientist, took her aside and talked to her, not about arithmetic, but about God and the nothingness of fear. She lovingly reminded her that since God is the only Mind there is no mind which can be afraid. She asked her to work on the problem as she had been taught in Sunday school, and to tell her mother what had happened, so that the fear might be overcome.

At first the little girl was very much depressed at the thought of her failure in the test, but then she saw that the truth of Christian Science which she had been taught must be put into practice. The matter was talked over at home, and it was found that she must waken to see that she was not governed by fear, because in reality she was the perfect image and likeness of Mind, God. Mind knows nothing to fear, and therefore she, as God's child, had nothing to fear for she reflected Mind. She remembered that John says, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear." She knew that man reflects and expresses Love continuously; therefore, fear does not exist in reality. As these truths became clear to her she felt a great sense of confidence and peace. The next day the teacher allowed her to repeat the test, and this time, because fear had been cast out, the test was successfully passed.

Several years later another problem in connection with mathematics confronted this girl, when she started the study of geometry. The subject seemed so difficult that it demanded, she felt, a great deal of time each day to prepare the lessons. The need for time seemed to her so urgent that she stopped the daily study of the Bible Lessons in the Christian Science Quarterly in order that more time could be devoted to geometry. Her grades, however, continually grew worse, until at last the teacher, who was not a Christian Scientist, told her that it was useless for her to continue the subject, as she was too immature to grasp it, and strongly advised that she drop the subject for a year or two. This the girl was unwilling to do, knowing that by her application of the truth of Christian Science every need would be met, including the need for intelligence. The teacher, therefore, agreed to let her continue for about three weeks, at the end of which time, if her work in geometry had not improved, she would have to drop that subject.

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