Article April 3, 1937 Issue

Bearing True Witness

HERBERT BUCHER

In the book of Proverbs we read, "A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies." Unquestionably, it is the honest desire of most individuals to be true and faithful witnesses in all things, to express integrity and fairness in human affairs. And that numbers of people are making a successful endeavor to do so is beyond all doubt. Then it should naturally follow that they should reap the reward of their right doing. But many are not enjoying the fruits of honest action. May not this be because the world, judging by outward appearances, generally overlooks the motive preceding action? Suppose, for instance, one has a debt that he seems unable to pay in spite of his honest desire and effort to do so, may not one reason for the trouble lie in the fact that he is unintentionally bearing false witness against himself, by believing that he lacks something, and that his inability to pay his debt is real?

Now Christian Science declares that, in reality, man is not mortal or incomplete; that he is not dependent upon others for his maintenance, but is sustained and supported by God, and that as God's child he is always spiritual, whole, complete, free. If, then, one is submitting to the mental argument that he has a debt he cannot pay, is not that individual viewing the situation from the material standpoint of limitation, and is he not virtually denying the spiritual facts pertaining to the completeness of man, who is God's perfect child, His image and likeness? In so doing he is bearing false witness not only against his neighbor, but against himself as well.

Mary Baker Eddy says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 88), "To love one's neighbor as one's self, is a divine idea; but this idea can never be seen, felt, nor understood through the physical senses." The only way, therefore, that one may truly love his neighbor is to bear true witness by claiming in the interest of that neighbor the exact truth one claims for oneself, the truth that man is God's perfect idea, now and forever. This does not mean that we must ignore error, for such a course would be contrary to Christian Science. But it does mean that whenever a condition needing correction is presented for consideration, we must impersonalize the error, declare the truth, and thus protect ourselves from accepting as real error's seeming presence.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

Christian Science—Our Good Samaritan