OFTEN one is admonished to "face the facts," meaning by the term that one should recognize circumtances as they seem to exist, and then take such steps as are necessary to meet them. From a human standpoint, such a course may seem to be necessary and right; but when one approaches the question from the standpoint of spiritual discernment, what are the facts? In the world today there seem to be many conditions which are far from harmonious, and one may wish heartily that he could do somethimg to correct them. The vastness of the undertaking, however, makes one feel that, unaided, there is little one do to bring about their betterment.

Rightly considered, there is much that can be done which will benefit the individual and, in so doing, help to bring about more harmonious conditions for all mankind. Anyone sincerely desirous of doing his part may start from where he is today, for the overcoming of wrong conditions must begin in individual thinking; and in the measure that his thoughts are harmonious will the outward manifestations be harmonious also.

Mary Baker Eddy has given to the world through the teachings of Christian Science a sure and unfailing remedy for discord of every nature, whether it be expressed by an individual, a race, a nation, or a group of nations. When she made her great discovery in 1866, Mrs. Eddy stood alone. No one else in the whole world believed as she did, and the conditions of doubt, incredulity, and even of persecution, had to be faced with the absolute fact that God alone has power, and that matter with all its so-called laws is unreal and powerless.

How, then, may one meet the chaotic conditions which seem so evident today? When there seems to be lack and limitation on every hand, what are the facts one has to face? It is certainly not a fact that these conditions are real, for the truth is that infinite and eternal Mind, Spirit, is the only real substance, and that God knows only abundant supply for all His ideas. Since God created all and declared it to be good, He did not create lack of any kind, knows nothing about lack; therefore His perfect idea, man, cannot know it, for man cannot know anything that God does not know. "The spiritual reality is the scientific fact in all things," writes Mrs. Eddy in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures"(p. 207); and the scientific fact to be faced on the question of supply is that God has provided abundantly for man, and has given him dominion over all created things. Christ Jesus gave the rule which, if honestly and persistently followed, will meet every human need. He said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

"But," declares someone, "suppose one finds oneself in a place or position where there seems to be much discord. Surely he must face the fact that individuals seem to have their own likes and dislikes, and that they do not always get on harmoniously with one another!" In this case, the fact which must be understood and declared with conviction is that man is the perfect expression of God and manifests only harmony. As this is maintained, one will begin to see expressed in his companions and associates more of harmony and fair dealing. As he refuses to accept as real any other belief about them, there will be evidenced only the fact which he has affirmed so resolutely.

If one seems to be manifesting a disease said to be hereditary, or some other discordant physical condition pronounced incurable, how can he face such things with fortitude and courage? He must recognize that these experiences are not facts at all, but simply conditions which need to be overcome through knowing their utter unreality, and by declaring the absolute facts of being. Since man is the son of God, he can inherit only that which is good; therefore, no belief of hereditary disease has any reality, and any such belief is to be ruled out of consciousness by the divine fact of man's absolute perfection. Disease of any nature, whether called curable or incurable, acute or chronic, is a false belief of the so-called mortal mind. It has no reality, and its claim of incurability, or of power to destroy man's comfort, health, or happiness, is utterly false. Man is the complete, perfect, and permanent expression of God; and this fact, established in consciousness, destroys the false belief.

Business men particularly need to be alert to "face the facts" at all times. Detailed statistics are often gathered to show the trend of the business, the volume of the sales, the amount of the collections, the quantity of the orders received, the totals of the payrolls, and other costs. Surely, in such figures the careful business man has an array of data which must be faced i the wise conduct of the enterprise. How else may he succeed? First, he must recognize that all these statistics are not, in the absolute sense, facts at all, but simply records that change from day to day, week to week, month to month. They may be called indicators, showing how well the merchant has been facing the facts and bringing spiritual reality into his experience.

As the merchant looks beyond the figures which record the volume of sales, and net profits, and sees his business as an opportunity to serve his fellow man by supplying a human need at a fair and reasonable price, providing remunerative employment for those in his own organization, as well as for those from whom he buys his goods, and for establishing harmonious relationship between the individuals in his organization, he will see in his payroll figures a measure of the service he has rendered to his employees. He will see in his sales volume a yardstick with which to gauge the good he has rendered to his customers. His net profits will take on a new meaning, even the reward which cannot be measured in money, but is represented by the saying of the Master: "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."

Great changes are taking place in governmental functions throughout the world. Like Mary of old, many people are crying out in despair, "They have taken away the Lord . . . and we know not where they have laid him." Here again it must be seen that these are not facts, but false beliefs, to be put aside for the eternal truth that the only government is the government of divine Principle, infinite Mind; that the only lawmaker is God. In the words of Isaiah, "The Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; he will save us."

The real facts, then, which one must face are the spiritual facts of being: that there is one God, one Mind, and that man is the full and perfect expression of this omnipotent and eternal Mind. As we look away from material conditions and perceive the oneness of God, declaring persistently and consistently the immutable facts of Spirit, we shall be doing our part. Our Leader has written (Science and Health, p. 340): "One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; constitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the Scripture, 'Love thy neighbor as thyself;' annihilates pagan and Christian idolatry,—whatever is wrong in social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes; equalizes the sexes; annuls the curse on man, and leaves nothing that can sin, suffer, be punished or destroyed."