A number of people spend their days in being busily idle. Perhaps as many are engaged in being lazily busy. Mary Baker Eddy has described the former on page 230 of "Miscellaneous Writings." where she writes, "Rushing around smartly is no proof of accomplishing much." The second is not always so easy to diagnose and may be more deceptive to others, if not to oneself. He who having much to do does it mechanically, without vigor, enthusiasm, alertness and inspiration, may be continuously occupied, but spiritually he is idle.

It is said that indolence is the sleep of the mind. Men will throw themselves almost savagely into mountainous technical routine, into organization and planning, yet the industry of Spirit is unknown to them. They live according to habit and routine, within the circumscribed limits of duty and desire. On the other hand, how true it is that the slothful and fearful make difficulty the pretext for inaction or delay. Admirably do we have it summed up for us in Proverbs: "The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets."

On page 8 of her Message to The Mother Church for 1900. Mrs. Eddy writes: "Our Master saith to his followers: 'Bring forth things new and old.' In this struggle remember that sensitiveness is sometimes selfishness, and that mental idleness or apathy is always egotism and animality." Here Mrs. Eddy makes it clear that the command of Jesus to bring forth things new and old, to maintain the spiritual facts already made manifest and to add to them in progress and demonstration, demands a struggle. In this struggle there will continually be the temptation to believe that things difficult and dangerous are to be avoided, that there is some kind of lion in the street, with slaying intent.

Every symptom of sensitiveness fostering indulgence of self, rather than devotion to the great task of universal salvation; every temptation to indolence, whether selfishness, apathy, or materiality, will be overcome as we bend to the work demanded of us to bring forth things new and old.

The individual does not overcome indolence by merely driving himself to work. Work done of necessity or actuated only by self-interest is shorn of both grace and glory. In such circumstances, when there appear lions without, the desire to avoid them or the fear of interference from them will be uppermost. Indolence and cowardice would encourage us to ignore, to exaggerate, or to flee from the problems that beset us, even as human will would spur us forcefully to overrule them.

However, there is but one sure way of overcoming that which appears erroneous within or without, a way whereby the deceptions of mortal mind, whether of inaction or overaction can be detected and replaced by the activity which is of God. It is the way of prayer. Evil is never finally overcome until it is replaced by Truth as the result of prayer, He who brings forth things new and old does it as the result of knowing that Spirit is the basis and incentive of all right action.

The activity which men beheld in Christ Jesus was the outcome of this knowing. During those hours he spent in spiritual communion with God, every claim of sensitiveness to evil, every temptation to believe that man is a mortal governed by mortal laws, was overcome, and the human evidence was continually higher proofs of divine power.

The tendency of individuals to think themselves busy, even overworked, and humanly important, is never stronger than when nations are at war. Material labor, organization, officialdom, take on added significance. The work men do the positions they hold, the decisions they make, are fraught with far-reaching responsibilities. They may be swept into schemes and stratagems of almost fabulous size and potentiality. Yet the true and lasting value of every contribution lies in its spiritual intent and its moral achievement. Mortal reasoning and mental apathy, whereby men are mesmerized into reckoning themselves and their labors apart from God alone hinder true results. Amidst every essential human responsibility and usefulness, may we preserve the vision as revealed to us by our Leader, and seek its fulfillment.

"The right thinker and worker does his best, and does the thinking for the ages. No hand that feels not his help, no heart his comfort." writes Mrs. Eddy on page 3 of the Message to The Mother Church for 1900. He who today in the work which he undertakes waits on divinity for his direction, who is awake to the sensitiveness which spells selfishness, watchful against the indolence, whether physical or mental, which is apparent in apathy, cowardice, or indifference, will do his best, and the today, the tomorrow, will benefit thereby.

Our Leader has made it perfectly clear in her writings what are our tasks and responsibilities; what are the suppositional lions in various pretentious guises that would claim to be both within and without; and, moreover, she has lovingly and withal wholly adequately equipped us for the task which is demanded of us. For those who lay aside indolence and apathy; for those who subordinate all human efficiency and weight of industry to the divine wisdom and direction, there will be brought forth surely, permanently, the new and the old. Thus will time be merged into eternity and the immortal purpose of man, the divine source and inspiration of his workmanship, be revealed.

Evelyn F. Heywood