Article March 7, 1942 Issue

"Be not grieved"

ANNA STANTON LAY

The story of Joseph offers admonition and inspiration to those who today seem to be the victims of injustice and suffering. Under adversity Joseph, through his strong, pure faith in God, used every situation as an opportunity for service to his fellow men. Thus he eventually became the means of saving from famine not only the Egyptians, but many others, including his brothers and their families. Joseph's words and acts show that he attained a clear spiritual understanding of the omnipotence of God, good. Thereby he was himself freed from slavery, and from the false beliefs which seemed to rob him of freedom, peace, and plenty. When his brothers, conscious of wrongdoing, were "troubled at his presence," Joseph offered them forgiveness in the noble words: "Be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. ... So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God."

Joseph's words showed his confidence in the presence of God and in His power to overcome evil. Today, when evil seems more blatant, more cruelly insistent in its claim to destroy good, we may well seek that spiritual understanding which refuses to give thought to recrimination, dismay, or grief. Spiritual understanding brings the pure consciousness, of good, which ever sees and rejoices in good. Based on the Christ, Truth, which our Master exemplified, Christian Science proves by logical demonstration the allness of Spirit, infinite Mind, Truth, and Love, and thereby the unreality of all evil. The falsity of the claim of evil to presence and power is shown by Mary Baker Eddy on page 186 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," where she writes: "Evil is self-assertive. It says: 'I am a real entity, overmastering good.' This falsehood should strip evil of all pretensions. The only power of evil is to destroy itself. It can never destroy one iota of good. Every attempt of evil to destroy good is a failure, and only aids in peremptorily punishing the evil-doer."

Through the spiritual understanding derived from the study and practice of Christian Science, thousands of persons have obtained the victory over various phases of evil in their own lives. With victory over error they have become convinced of Truth's supremacy. Glimpsing illimitable Spirit, divine Love, as the reality of being, they discern the mesmeric claim of materiality, error, as devoid of Principle, presence, or power. Convinced of the unreality of error and evil, they discern the futility of grief. When Truth awakens a mortal dreamer from a dream of pain, human thought reaches out for the power of God. Grief gives place to joy as one holds fast to the truth of the ever-presence and power of infinite Love, and obediently, resolutely, walks the heavenly way of Mind's directing.

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