The Corrective for Fear

Duncan Sinclair

Fear hangs like a dark cloud over the world today. People are in dread of something catastrophic happening, apprehensive that the conflicting political theories of men may involve them in continued conflict, with destruction of life and untold suffering. Fear also seems to dwell persistently in the thought of many because of the possibility of their becoming sick and incapacitated, and it is never absent from those who in belief are sick. In business, too, indeed wherever men labor to obtain what are called the necessities of life, fear is apt to enter in, hindering progress and engendering distrust. As one dwells on these things, one thinks what a happy world this would be were fear eliminated from human experience!

It certainly would be a happier world if fear were overcome in the thoughts of men. It certainly would be a more harmonious world, one where health would be greatly more in evidence than it is at present. The question, then, arises, Is it possible to overcome fear? Is there a means by which it can be overcome scientifically, and mankind be saved from the distress which invariably accompanies it? This has been asked by mortals throughout all the centuries of the past. Sometimes they have glimpsed how the problem can be solved; but not until Christ Jesus ushered in the Christian era was it definitely demonstrated how this enemy of the human race could be overcome, how it could be eliminated from human consciousness.

The Apostle John, he who so clearly apprehended the teaching of the Master, writes in his first epistle (4:18): "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love." These brief sentences contain the secret whereby fear can be overcome in human consciousness. John knew that "God is love" (v. 16)—the words are his. And it is this understanding which destroys fear. Allow the thought to dwell for a moment on this great spiritual truth. God is Love, infinite Love. Everywhere, then, Love is present; everywhere Love reigns supreme. It may be difficult for some to concede this, living as they do in a world where evil and fear seem to be so much in evidence; but the fact remains that divine Love alone is real, alone is present, alone has power. Mrs. Eddy writes (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 278): "The government of divine Love is supreme. Love rules the universe, and its edict hath gone forth: 'Thou shalt have no other gods before me,' and 'Love thy neighbor as thyself.'"

Since Love is supreme and rules the universe, how should the fear which besets mortal existence be regarded? It should be seen as an utterly false sense apparently arising from an erroneous concept of real being. God is Love, and nought but God, Love, has real being. Evil, therefore, is unreal. Envy, jealousy, hate, revenge, fear, being no part of divine Love, do not really exist; they are illusory beliefs of the carnal mind. Thus, through the understanding, the realization, of Love's allness and omnipotence, all such erroneous beliefs can be overcome.

Knowing these things, through the knowledge of God and His creation which Christian Science has given them, Christian Scientists hold steadfastly to them, and by doing so are protected from the false beliefs which would cause them to fear. They are also helping to overcome the fear of the world, for they are constant in their affirmations of Love's allness and evil's nothingness, and are especially diligent in this respect when the mesmerism of fear, caused by aggressive mental suggestion, would claim to find lodgment in the thought of mankind generally. They know the truth of Love's allness and infinite goodness. They deny that evil has reality. And they are confident that this understanding will protect themselves and their fellow men against erroneous beliefs of whatever kind.

In times of epidemic, the understanding of Love's allness is a perfect antidote for fear. Our Leader writes (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 229), "A calm, Christian state of mind is a better preventive of contagion than a drug, or than any other possible sanative method; and the 'perfect Love' that 'casteth out fear' is a sure defense." Should sickness seem to occur, and fear be in evidence because of it, the Christian Scientist realizes the truth that God, divine Love, alone is present and has power; and this realization destroys the fear, and protects him.

What a comfort it is to know that in real being there are no contests, no strife, no war! Under the marginal heading, "Angelic offices," in a paragraph on pages 566 and 567 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy writes: "The Gabriel of His presence has no contests. To infinite, ever-present Love, all is Love, and there is no error, no sin, sickness, nor death." The understanding of perfect Love casts out fear. Love is the corrective for fear.

Duncan Sinclair

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