Article February 13, 1943 Issue

Substituting Truth for Criticism

DOROTHY BENNER RIEKE

Two Christian Scientists, driving along the highway, were discussing a third, whom they both loved. The young man in question was having difficulty in becoming established in his profession. These two had been so desirous of seeing him active and progressive that they had grown discouraged after the long period of failure. On this particular day, they began to enumerate what they thought were the causes for his lack of progress. One said that he was lazy; the other, that he lacked ambition. They agreed that he had little enthusiasm, that he lacked initiative, failed to make use of good opportunities, and did not seem to reflect much intelligence. Suddenly, the one driving the car cried out in pain. A hip bone had slipped out of place, and it was only with the greatest of difficulty that the two were able to bring the car to a stop at the side of the highway.

Immediately they awakened to the erroneous nature of their thinking. One said, "We should reverse each erroneous statement that we have made about our friend." Aloud he declared concerning the young man: "He reflects Mind, the source of all activity; therefore, he must be active and full of life. He reflects that all-knowing intelligence, whence comes inspiration; therefore initiative, alertness, intelligence are his in abundance. He is controlled by divine Principle, and nothing can keep him from being led into the paths of right activity." When each false statement had been corrected, they discovered that the dislocated hip bone had slipped back into place, the pain had ceased, and the healing was complete. In a very short time thereafter the young man was actively and successfully engaged in his profession.

Certain helpful lessons are to be gained from this experience. First of all, if we wish to express harmony ourselves, we must not entertain critical thoughts concerning our fellow man. In order to restore the driver to a state of harmony, it was not necessary to treat a misplaced bone. When these two corrected their thinking about their friend, their own experience became harmonious. They had been awakened to the scientific truth that we cannot accept into our consciousness false concepts about our brother and demonstrate our own well-being at the same time. How much human suffering might be overcome, were one to search his own thinking and ask himself the questions: "Am I seeing all my brothers as God's children, perfect in every respect? Is there so much as one individual in whom I can find anything to criticize?"

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