Editorial September 19, 1936 Issue

"The All and Only"

Violet Ker Seymer

Translating the commands, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," and, "Love thy neighbour as thyself," Mrs. Eddy gives their spiritual meaning as follows (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 18): "Thou shalt love Spirit only, not its opposite, in every God-quality, even in substance; thou shalt recognize thyself as God's spiritual child only." The love of Spirit, together with the recognition of our only true selfhood, is a positive state of thought to be developed and well guarded, for through this love and recognition of the real, the veil is lifted on the infinite God and His infinite manifestation. We rise above the unreal sense of creation through recognizing the fact that there is only one creation, that it is spiritual, and that man's life, health, and intelligence, being wholly spiritual, are likewise indestructible.

Christian Science lifts us above inconsistent thinking into the grand consistency of spiritual revelation, in which the unity of good is the everlasting fact. There is no adulteration or disunity in the manifestation of the one Mind. Hence, to grasp the significance of this word "only" is to see the nonsignificance of evil and matter in the light of Truth, and to rise above the human concept of being partly good and partly bad, partly spiritual and partly material, partly mortal and partly immortal. Our necessity is to live each day in the wonderful fact that God, good, is now and forever supreme. It is our privilege to love Spirit uniquely, and to demonstrate step by step the fact that man is spiritual and immortal.

Whoever doubts his spiritual ability to be single-minded, true-hearted, faithful in every detail of thought and daily life, is thinking of himself as an independent unit who is expected to control and govern himself. He is lacking in humility. In doubting his own possibilities for good, his own capacity to express health and holiness, he is doubting God. The remedy lies in so loving that which is true that we shall be willing and able to abandon the belief in that which is untrue, at every point. Even though tempted with contrary suggestions of insincerity or divided faith, we must declare our genuine desire to measure up to the standard set before us. This will silence evil suggestion and call forth our response to that which is true and beautiful and will reward this response. The standard of perfection is the only standard. The consciousness of spiritual man is pure at every point, everlastingly complete, divinely controlled.

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