Article April 2, 1938 Issue

Progress—God's Law of Unfoldment

HELEN DYER BEAVER

Progress is a law of divine Mind. But does the world realize this fact in its attempt to further human progress? It is rightly said that the world must progress. Hence the new inventions, the experimenting, and economic theories put into practice. Hence the explorations and the new developments in aeronautics and engineering. When we see some of the results of these attempts at human betterment, do we wonder why they are sometimes accompanied by failure, by evil in various forms? Must those who are courageous and unselfish enough to help the world progress, as they see it, suffer?

What is real progress? How does it reflect God's law of unfoldment? Mrs. Eddy writes in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 224), "There should be painless progress, attended by life and peace instead of discord and death." In the light of this statement we should turn our gaze Spiritward, and so find the way of real progress.

In the second epistle of Peter, we are told that such qualities as faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, charity, brotherly kindness, win their reward of fruitfulness "in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." There is no reference to failure in the exercise of good qualities. After enumerating the above qualities, he continues, "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall." Then, should we not be more alert to enlist in the effort to understand and demonstrate God's law in our own experience, thus helping world progress in greater measure?

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