Article July 17, 1937 Issue

Taking Life Seriously

GORDON V. COMER

Two young persons, seated at a lunch table, were talking in voices easily heard by those around them. One of them was heard to say, "It doesn't pay to take life too seriously." The other replied: "No, it does not, and I'm not going to waste my time doing it. What's the use?" The Christian Science who overheard these remarks began to think about what these young persons had said and wondered what they meant. Judging by what was heard of their conversation, he supposed they meant that one should not worry about those really important things which are going on and being discussed in the world today. Possibly they were thinking of problems of government, economic and social well-being, education, and religion—those things or questions which may, according to the way in which they are determined or practiced, definitely affect for good or evil this generation and future generations.

How often one hears similar statements! It is possible that therein is a hint of virtue, but there is much error implied in all such statements. The virtue in them would depend upon one's understanding of the reason for not worrying, but this should, of course, involve much more than turning one's back upon the problems and ignoring them. It should mean much more than going on blindly, in the dark as it were, saying, "What's the use of taking life seriously!"

There is a right way of taking the things of everyday life seriously, and yet not worrying about them. There is no virtue in worry. There is great virtue, however, in seriously, that is, earnestly considering problems affecting human weal. In this respect Christian Scientists find one of the many ways in which their religion helps them tremendously. It does not teach one to ignore error, but to face its claims squarely and see that because they do not proceed from God, Truth, they are nutrue, unreal, utterly without foundation or basis. Christian Science does not teach that God knows anything about material problems—governmental, economic, or social. These problems relate to human experience and do not exist in the realm of absolute perfect being, because God knows only His own perfect government, whereby are maintained the perfect economy of being and the perfect brotherhood of man. Christian Science does teach, however, that as one knows more about God, he manifests more intelligence in dealing with the subjects relating to human experience.

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