Article October 24, 1936 Issue

Armaments, or Armor of Light?

ELIZABETH YATES MC GREAL

Nation after nation in the world today is concerned with the preparation of armaments. When challenged to explanation, each one replies that such armaments are solely for defense. War of aggression has been condemned; co-operation among the nations is being sought. Yet each nation goes on building more warships, guns, and planes in a feverish and futile attempt to become stronger than its neighbor and so achieve protection. Such a situation, involving as it does a recognized lack, indicates a definite need. On the surface, it seems that events and public feeling dictate a need of ships and guns, but underlying that is the need of assurance, security. It is the Christian Scientist's duty and privilege to discern the real need, ascertain its spiritual significance, and so set to work to aid in meeting this basic need through his own scientific thinking.

Our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy—and none in our day has known, as did she, how to admonish and advance her followers—cautions us that we should have our armor on at all times, and she makes it abundantly clear that our only armor is the power of Spirit. Individually, such armor may be understandingly donned. But what of national armament? What of the nation that sees its neighbor nations amassing arms and munitions against a not improbable day of combat? In her Communion Address for 1899 our Leader eloquently refers to the superiority of spiritual armament when she says (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 127): "Unlike Russia's armament, ours is not costly as men count cost, but it is rich beyond price, staunch and indestructible on land or sea; it is not curtailed in peace, surrendered in conquest, nor laid down at the feet of progress through the hands of omnipotence. And why? Because it is 'on earth peace, good will toward men,'—a cover and a defence adapted to all men, all nations, all times, climes, and races."

It is evident, then, that those nations are rightly armored whose citizens entertain desires for that peace of which the angels sang when they proclaimed the appearing of the Christ to mankind. Motivated by good will, individuals will help the nations to know they are safe in the protection of spiritual armament. There is no potency of any opposite nature that can conquer what is good and based on good, for good is of God and God is the only power.

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