Article November 7, 1936 Issue

In the Safety Zone

GORDON V. COMER

A Little girl and her mother alighted from a surface car at a busy street corner and stepped into a safety zone. There was nothing about this that would attract any particular attention, but as a Christian Scientist watched the two, he pondered somewhat the reason for their confidence in that safety zone, with the heavy traffic thundering by them in two directions. He could see that it was not the traffic disks which offered them safety. A motor car might easily have passed over one or more of the disks without so much as jostling its occupants. But it was evident from the expression on the mother's face that she felt perfectly safe so long as she and the child did not step outside the zone.

It was obvious, of course, that the thought of safety was based upon faith rather than upon a materially tangible thing. But what was the faith based upon? The Christian Scientist decided that it was based upon regard for law. He realized that with a large percentage of the people there is a sincere respect for law. These would not think of driving their cars into a safety zone, because they know that it is contrary to traffic laws, and they respect them. With a small percentage of people, there is not so much respect for law as there is fear of it. These also would not drive into safety zones for fear of the possible consequences resulting from such an unlawful act. But in either case, the law is responsible for the protection. In this situation, the mother undoubtedly had a respect for law, and also a faith in other people's respect for it. Therefore she and her child felt safe within that small space which the law defines as a safety zone.

There are many people who wish they might place themselves in a general safety zone where they could feel a confident sense of security. During the last few years, perhaps, they have found that material possessions do not constitute safety zones. They have seen that superior material power, or force, does not provide them. They see that none of these things offer assured safety or security. It is not a question of building higher, greater, or stronger structures, because if one builds upon foundations of materiality, no matter how high, or great, or strong, there may appear a destructive power of some kind that will be higher, greater, or stronger, there may foundations of his structure will not be equal to the demands made upon them.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

Working Out Problems Rightly