Article January 11, 1936 Issue

Service

G. LESLIE LYNCH

HOW much better the world will be when all men measure achievement in terms of service rather than in terms of material gain! What wells of inspiration and joy are discovered by the individual who turns his thought toward ways and means of unselfishly doing for his fellow men as he would have them do for him! And the joy of serving those one loves may be even surpassed by serving those who seem to be one's enemies.

Greatness is often associated with those who have truly served the world, those to whom service rather than greatness was the objective. Men will never cease to be inspired by the life story of Christ Jesus. He has given the world its greatest example of unselfish service. How clearly he defines his mission when he says, "For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth." What wonderful humility these words express! Never did he show any desire for place and power, which, today as formerly, seem to count so much with men. Jesus was ever ready to endure any hardship, even crucifixion, in order to serve his fellow men by giving them, through precept and demonstration, a greater understanding of God and true spiritual being.

In our own time, Mary Baker Eddy has given us a great example of unselfish service. She braved the ridicule of the world in order that she might lead men in the way that Christ Jesus had shown, the way which proved to be the path of peace, health, and happiness. She encountered many trials, but her vision of life was spiritual, and therefore for her there was no other way than the one revealed by Christ Jesus. How well a verse of Mrs. Eddy's poem expresses her desire to serve (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 397):

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