Editorial August 7, 1937 Issue

Hasten!

Violet Ker Seymer

Progress is not determined by the passing of time, but by the gain of spiritual understanding, and the consequent passing away of ignorance and superstition. The Christian Scientist progresses rapidly through basing all his thought-processes on God, the only Mind and cause, thereby looking out from the source of all perfection.

Christian Science emphasizes the imperative need of honesty in uncovering and abandoning evil indulgences, fear. deceit, and subterfuge. But it does not advocate morbid introspection, or the prolonging of a struggle with error in order to learn by suffering. Patience and perseverance in the right course have their reward, to be sure, but the ideal way of advance is the way of spiritual awakening and prompt victory over discord.

In "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 107) our Leader refers to three cardinal points, three stages of advance, to be gained by humanity: "(1) A proper sense of sin; (2) repentance; (3) the understanding of good." Her further statement reads (ibid., p. 109), "Mortals must hasten through the second to the third stage,—the knowledge of good; for without this the valuable sequence of knowledge would be lacking,—even the power to escape from the false claims of sin." To repent of some specific fear or mistaken belief or practice does not mean brooding over it. It means turning radically away from the unreal mental picture in order to behold the truth of being, in which there is everlasting righteousness and harmony for one and all. This way of scientific repentance and regeneration is the sure way of destroying present discord, preventing the return of old mistakes and the making of fresh ones. Christian Science, the law of God, provides for freedom, not fetters. It provides for our joyous advance under God's law of spiritual perfection. Hence it is with the "knowledge of good" that the alert Christian Scientist persistently and consistently concerns himself. And he finds that the maintaining of this altitude of thought makes the greatest demands on his fidelity and brings him the most striking rewards.

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