Article August 17, 1935 Issue

The Perfect Man

BURKE C. MORRISSEY

"Man is spiritual and perfect; and because he is spiritual and perfect, he must be so understood in Christian Science," writes Mary Baker Eddy on page 475 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." But what do the mortal senses declare? They present, among other errors of mortal mind, claims of disturbing dispositions, unreasoning and unreasonable actions, seeming to emanate from and to control members of the family, business associates, or others. This unreasoning, causeless, troublesome attitude of mortal mind may tempt even one who is practicing Christian Science, and who has in his heart a natural love of God, good, and the desire to express this good, to become disturbed and perhaps somewhat bewildered. These claims of mortal mind are so ridiculous, unnecessary, and inharmonious that he cannot understand why they should even seem to be. Right here Christian Science offers the healing truth, for it teaches him to recognize the unreality of every claim of error, and to rise above the belief that man is ever material, or in any way subject to the illusory and false claims of materiality.

It is well to understand, nevertheless, that the error manifested as a disturbing disposition is merely a bold attempt of evil to make itself appear real. It confronted the master Christian, Christ Jesus, in various ways, particularly in the thoughts and actions of Judas. But Jesus left us the perfect example of the way to deal with this and every other attempt of error to make itself appear real: he held resolutely to his purpose of expressing God and doing God's will, and this lifted him above and beyond the beliefs of mortal mind. He never descended mentally to grapple with these claims on their own level, but recognized their unreality through his realization of the allness of God, good. "Jesus beheld in Science the perfect man, who appeared to him where sinning mortal man appears to mortals. In this perfect man the Saviour saw God's own likeness, and this correct view of man healed the sick" (ibid., pp. 476, 477). Wherever the heart of the seeker was humble and prepared for the truth, healing took place.

We, too, can be so busy beholding the perfect man and expressing the will of God in kindness, love, understanding, wisdom, compassion, tenderness, strength, firmness, confidence, assurance, good works, that we cannot be misled into believing that is, or ever has been, troublesome, unjust, hateful, resentful, or destructive. As Nehemiah was wise in avoiding the subtle snares of Sanballat and his allies who would have hindered his work, the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem, so can we be wise in rejecting as unreal the inimical phases of human relationships, and in following the example of Christ Jesus when he declared that whosoever shall do the will of God, "the same is my brother, and sister, and mother."

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