Editorial April 28, 1934 Issue

Quietness

Violet Ker Seymer

Quiet spiritual listening, quiet exclusion of false thoughts and feelings, express the divinely perceptive and receptive attitude known as prayer. "The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit" is our defense against mental commotion and the aggressions of personal sense. Spiritual quietness is gained through basically true thinking and comes with healing to one whose cry is, "I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart."

Disquietness betrays faith in evil, ignorance of God, or else failure to make full and corrective use of the spiritual understanding of Christian Science which we have thus far acquired. Therefore it is only as these conditions are rectified that the graces of Spirit find their way into the burdened heart, bringing it strength and peace. A person ostensibly coming to a Christian Scientist for counsel, but still remaining self-opinionated, mentally agitated, bent upon impressing his auditor with the complexity of his troubles rather than upon humbly listening to Mind-inspired words, is apt to be robbed, at least temporarily, of the comfort and enlightenment that could be his.

"The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools." One step toward hearing the message of Christian Science with the inner ear lies in silencing the volubility and self-assertiveness of mortal mind. A self-willed talker is apt to hold on to an erroneous train of thought, lest, by pausing to pay attention to words of Truth, he himself should forget the error which he purposes to voice. Yet such forgetting might be a help to him rather than a hindrance. In order, then, for one to gain spiritual quietness and healing, there must be a teachable attitude, a sincere resolve to adopt the spiritual way of thinking and to let go the reverse way. There must be the determination to tear up false landmarks with spiritual understanding, in order that one may obey the requirements of divine Principle, and in newborn humility enter the realm of divine Mind, which Christian Science reveals to men.

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