Editorial February 9, 1935 Issue

Requisite Footsteps

W. Stuart Booth

Evidently Christ Jesus knew that orderly procedure in right endeavor brings good results. He said that the order of development in growing grain is "first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." Before he began his public ministry the Master clearly discerned his divine son-ship; he heard "a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." It is significant, however, that in demonstrating the truth of spiritual being Jesus began by solving the more simple problems in human experience. Although he knew that God is the only Life and power, our Exemplar presented progressive proofs of this redemptive and protective truth. He overcame death with others and then with himself after he had reversed the human beliefs about sin, sickness, and limitation.

Mrs. Eddy, working under divine guidance, saw the necessity of following the example of Christ Jesus in this and all respects; and so she wrote in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (pp. 253, 254), "The divine demand, 'Be ye therefore perfect,' is scientific, and the human footsteps leading to perfection are indispensable." Continuing she said, "God requires perfection, but not until the battle between Spirit and flesh is fought and the victory won." Individual human consciousness is the battleground where the victory over fleshly beliefs is to be gained by means of the accession and activity of spiritual desire and spiritual ideas. Christian Science declares that eventually each individual must overcome every phase of materiality, including the belief in death; but it counsels us to begin with the elimination of selfishness, fear, jealousy, cruel criticism, resentment, self-pity, and the like, and thus take "the human footsteps leading to perfection."

The Christian Science teaching that God, good, is the only Mind, the source of all true ideas, furnishes the rule whereby all evil thoughts may be properly classified as false and therefore unattractive and powerless. Furthermore, we learn that the thoughts which spring from and tend towards animality constitute the elements of death. So we are encouraged by the knowledge that we are overcoming the belief of death in a degree as we master fear, envy, greed, and other mischievous offspring of the carnal or mortal mind. This is "the battle between Spirit and flesh;" and as we align our desires and thoughts with divine Mind, we find that God, omnipotent good, is operative in support of our right endeavors.

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