Editorial December 3, 1938 Issue

"Privilege and duty"

Duncan Sinclair

Gratitude occupies a large place in the consciousness of the Christian Scientist. The reason for this is that he has greatly benefited by the spiritual truth which Christian Science has revealed to him. And while his gratitude is great for the blessings that have come to him as he reflects on how its teaching has healed him of sickness or enabled him to overcome some form of sin that had made him weak and miserable, it—his gratitude—goes out spontaneously to her through whose humility and purity the revelation was made—Mary Baker Eddy.

The genuine Christian Scientist is not slow to express his gratitude, either in private to those whom he may wish to help by relating his healing experiences, or in a more public way by giving a testimony at a Wednesday meeting in a Christian Science church, or by writing one for the periodicals. But gratitude expressed in a spoken or written testimony is only one of the ways in which it may be expressed. Another and very important way in which we can show our gratitude is through obedience to our Leader—obedience, that is, to her admonitions and desires as expressed in the Church Manual and in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" and her other writings.

Every Christian Scientist should consider how far he is loyal to Mrs. Eddy in this respect. He acknowledges his indebtedness to her as the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science. He acknowledges her as one of the world's greatest spiritual seers, the one who has so wonderfully interpreted the Bible spiritually, including the teaching and works of Christ Jesus, thus bringing out its healing and saving message as no other has ever done. He has had convincing proof of the veracity of her teaching in healing and regeneration. Surely nothing more is needed to assure him of the value of whatever she has said in the nature of advice or admonition. Surely he is prepared to agree that all she has counseled her followers is worthy of considered obedience, for their own sake and the sake of their fellow men.

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