Editorial July 10, 1937 Issue

Expectancy of Good

George Shaw Cook

Human experience sometimes seems to justify the belief that anticipation of evil is more natural than expectancy of good. Mortal history may seem to vindicate a pessimistic rather than an optimistic attitude of thought. In the book of Job we read, "The thing which I greatly feared is come upon me;" and this, unfortunately, has been the experience of untold numbers of persons since these words were written. Unquestionably, the fearful anticipation of evil is due to the belief which obtains with most mortals that evil experiences are natural and inevitable. This erroneous belief has prevailed to such an extent that one often hears it said, with regard to a possible favorable occurrence, "That is too good to be true!" How much better it would be for mortals if they would cultivate the habit of expecting good instead of evil to come into their experience!

The tendency to anticipate evil—sin, disease, discord—and to accept it as a necessary and therefore inescapable part of human existence, is fostered and promoted by animal magnetism, of which Mary Baker Eddy writes on page 103 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" as follows: "As named in Christian Science, animal magnetism or hypnotism is the specific term for error, or mortal mind. It is the false belief that mind is in matter, and is both evil and good; that evil is as real as good and more powerful. This belief has not one quality of Truth." It will be seen that evil, in any of its forms or phases, is not an emanation of Truth, and therefore is not to be expected, entertained, tolerated, honored, or obeyed. It is never a normal or natural concomitant of existence, but is always an intruder and impostor. In reality there is no evil to expect or to experience.

Christian Science has come into the world as a divine agency to save mortals from evil. It shows them that good, not evil, is natural, and that God, the creator and supreme governing power of the spiritual universe, including man, is always and altogether good—changeless, perfect good. For this reason, it is coming to be understood by students of Christian Science that the expectancy of good is a logical accompaniment of right thinking based upon understanding of the allness and goodness of God. Thus Christian Scientists are being freed from bondage to pessimism. They are gaining a cheerful viewpoint, based not upon what is ordinarily regarded as unreasoning optimism, but upon logical conclusions arrived at by scientific reasoning from the premise that God is infinite good and ordains nothing less than absolute good for man, His divine likeness.

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