Article May 21, 1938 Issue

Universal Love

GEORGE H. READ

Every student's progress in the demonstration of Christian Science is marked, in a large measure, by his progressive understanding of God as Love, and of man as the expression of Love which is divine. Both the neophyte in Christian Science and the seasoned worker find that earnest daily study and application of the seasoned worker find that earnest daily study and application of the teachings of Mary Baker Eddy continuously unfold new concepts of Love which lead onward and upward to better health, better morals, and better achievement.

The sincere seeker for a demonstrable knowledge of Christian Science quickly notes the baneful effects of hateful thoughts and unkind actions. Then may come a period in which the human sense of hatred gives way to a human sense of love, with its train of self-will, self-justification, self-righteousness, self-pity. The harmful effects of self-love, or selfish love, may not be so readily discernible as the effects of hatred. But those who seem to be confronted with delayed healing of physical, moral, financial, or other difficulties may find it particularly helpful to ponder the statement on page 242 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy: "Self-love is more opaque than a solid body. In patient obedience to a patient God, let us labor to dissolve with the universal solvent of Love the adamant of error,—self-will, self-justification, and self-love,—which wars against spirituality and is the law of sin and death."

It will be noted that Mrs. Eddy speaks of "the universal solvent of Love." A study of the references in the Concordances to her writings, wherein the word "universal" is used in connection with the words "God" and "Love," is enlightening. From such study two obvious and demonstrably practical conclusions are reached. First, that the one and only God, who is Love, is universal, ever present, and ever available to everyone. Secondly, that inasmuch as the real man is the true image and likeness of God, universal Love, he actually is universally loving. Therefore, only to the extent that one's thought expresses the Love which is divine and universal can one hope to prove that God heals disease, sin, and all inharmonies. How wisely Mrs. Eddy has written (ibid., p. 266), "Universal Love is the divine way in Christian Science"!

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