The extent to which the physical and spiritual needs of mortals are distinguishable the one from the other, and the degree of priority that should be conceded to either, has always been a matter of some perplexity, especially to those who believe that their aspirations are alone concerned with ministering to spiritual needs.

The Christian Scientist knows that healing sickness and sin with Truth is the all-important work of the Christian ministry, and that in the words of Mary Baker Eddy, "Healing the sick and the sinner with Truth demonstrates what we affirm of Christian Science, and nothing can substitute this demonstration" (Church Manual, Art. XXX, Sect. 7). He has learned, however, through experience, that to ignore the physical and insist that spiritual values alone are worthy of attention, may set up conditions of neglect or resentment that will prove most baffling and will, moreover, result in censure on the part of observers, well-intentioned or otherwise.

Experience has shown that much depends on a right adjustment of the ministry to these two phases of human need, and that each in its own way is important in contributing to the establishing of God's kingdom here and now.

Very early in the history of the Christian church, the twelve apostles, who were as yet the only governing body of this new religious movement, were confronted with a serious problem, the right distribution of supply in their midst. Accordingly they told the body of believers, so far not bound together by any organization or bylaws, that they did not consider it reasonable that they, the apostles, should be asked to undertake this work, or that they should "leave the word of God, and serve tables," and they advised them to nominate seven suitable men for this latter task.

The understanding was that the apostles would then devote themselves wholly to the ministry of the Word, and that these men, whom they appointed, would combine with their other tasks the distribution of food and clothing, or attending to the general needs of the community.

In considering this question of relative importance, it is interesting to note that the first two names proposed under the new plan were those of Stephen and Philip, two men whose names later figure in that early record more prominently as witnesses to the gospel of Christianity than any others, with the exception of Peter and Paul. Of Stephen it is said that in the theological disputations that arose in the Jewish synagogues he excelled, and that "they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake." This indicates that serving tables had not dulled his spiritual perception; indeed, so far from having fallen back in his ministry of the Word, as the result of his ministration to the physical needs of his fellow beings, he may have gained such a clear realization of the practical nature of the spiritual truths taught by his Master as to be able to confound the learned disputants, whose arguments rested on intellectual sophistry rather than on a religion of the heart, based on love for God and man.

Evidently, then, a very important decision had been reached, even though the apostles, in arriving at it, may have appeared to be dividing the ministry into two compartments, the ministry of the Word and the serving of tables. The main point was that they had recognized that care for one's neighbor's well-being is an essential part of the Christian ministry.

They must have recalled how, in their beloved Master's parable, the good Samaritan had lifted the wounded man on to his own ass, conducted him to an inn where his needs would be attended to, and provided the payment in advance. All these things illustrated a lesson in the practical care for one's fellow man in an emergency, and depicted a loving interest so kindly and considerate that it could only spring from a spiritual source, the realization that God's care for His children finds expression in the humanity of men, and that in this way alone will "man's inhumanity to man" be put to shame and all its ill effects be rendered null and void.

Very soon after the war which now troubles the world began, The Christian Science Board of Directors must have realized that a situation was about to arise that would afford abundant opportunities for the Samaritan virtues latent in our movement, for they formed committees both in Boston and in London which were to develop and bring into immediate operation certain emergency plans to meet the need of soldiers; plans for the provision of needed food and clothing and shelter to those who had been rendered homeless as the result of the war; plans for the economic relief of those whose means of subsistence had been temporarily suspended, and to whom a little financial help might bring immediate comfort and blessing.

These emergency plans have been described from time to time in the periodicals, and on reading the accounts of what they have already accomplished one cannot help seeing how far they have removed the frequently heard argument that Christian Scientists are great talkers about their faith, but that they do not believe in rendering material assistance. Had this indeed been true, then the words of James. "If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?" would have come shrewdly home at such a time. The Apostle James, it would seem, had himself learned the lesson that serving tables has its place in Christian ministry and cannot be waved aside as unworthy of consideration, or less worthy of a spiritual movement than "the ministry of the word."

When the Master told his disciples that in visiting the imprisoned, ministering to the sick, clothing the naked, they had done the same things to himself, they could not understand him, and the lesson he wished to convey was clearly that every single smallest effort to break down the beliefs of material limitation which bind men to mortality was helping to bring the vision of the Christ nearer to the human consciousness. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Similarly, every opportunity grasped by The Christian Science Board of Directors in this present emergency and made available to Christian Scientists everywhere of helping to break down these limiting beliefs through organized activity, as well as through individual spiritual understanding, must surely come within the category of "the wide channels of The Mother Church," of which Mrs. Eddy writes in the Church Manual (Art. VIII, Sect. 15), "God requires our whole heart, and He supplies within the wide channels of The Mother Church dutiful and sufficient occupation for all its members."

If there are any who believe that to engage in such activities is to endanger their capacity to act as spiritual healers as well, let them remember the case of Stephen and Philip, who were appointed to the serving of tables and yet were not prevented because of that work from proving themselves to be outstanding witnesses to the Word of God.

The language which human thought can comprehend today is written large in these words: Alleviation of misery restores hope.

Surely the removal of the effects of error is one of the methods by which one can break down the testimony of the physical senses and make way for the evidence of Spirit. This, in turn, will bring comfort and reassurance to many who are in danger of giving up all hope. More and more hope is needed today, for, as St. Paul tells us, "we are saved by hope."

These words from "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy (pp. 209, 210) afford us some further guidance on this subject: "Spiritual sense is a conscious, constant capacity to understand God. It shows the superiority of faith by works over faith in words."

Copyright, 1942, by The Christian Science Publishing Society, One, Norway Street, Boston, Massachusetts. Entered at Boston post office as second-class matter. Acceptance for mailing at a special rate of postage provided for in section 1103, Act of October 3, 1917, authorized on July 11, 1918. Published every Saturday.