In consonance with the Master's loving precept, exemplified in the parable of the good Samaritan, the Christian Science movement has undertaken war relief work. Christian Scientists in many parts of the world are actively participating in it. They know that when doing this work prayerfully, they vividly experience the operation of God's law. It frees from limited concepts, and enhances their capacities. In this manner, human tasks are performed more efficiently, more harmoniously, more lovingly.

In Christian Science, prayer has received a higher meaning, a more stable, scientific basis. Mary Baker Eddy fundamentally recognized that Truth must be fully true now, since it is eternal. The right mental attitude for one accepting this fact is not that of striving to attain some understanding of Truth upon the assumption that one is a human person. It is the scientific discernment that one must spiritually acknowledge that which already truly exists, even that which one already really, or divinely, is.

In this spiritual understanding, one perceives that God, the primal cause, infinite Truth, is the source of all power, all presence, all consciousness. No power, no presence, no consciousness, can be scientifically ascribed to anything appearing as contrary to divine good—by the way of war or any other form of evil. One comes to the startling, but nevertheless inevitable conclusion that war does not truly exist. The only scientific way to classify it is no longer as a reality, but as a false claim. A false claim has but one chance to exercise any influence; that is, by being accepted as existing, either as a reality or as a falsity. Dealing with sickness, Mrs. Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, declares in "Unity of Good" (p. 54): "To say there is a false claim, called sickness, is to admit all there is of sickness; for it is nothing but a false claim. To be healed, one must lose sight of a false claim."

Consequently, the teachings of Christian Science enjoin upon its students the denial of the existence of war, entirely and absolutely, either as a reality or as a false claim. Nowhere in the real universe, God's universe—and there is no other—does war exist. Therein its acceptance has never been acknowledged and never will be acknowledged. This utter and fundamental denial, predicated upon the acknowledgment of omnipotent, divine allness, operates as a law of total annulment to evil, and also of its prevention.

Members of Christian Science War Relief Committees are conversant with these divine facts and their efficacy in the practice of Christian Science. They see clearly that they should desist from merely wishing and hoping for the cessation of war and for the consummation of peace. As long as one permits oneself to dwell in the mentally unreal state of hoping and wishing, one remains in the human material belief wherein war is probable, because presumably a reality.

In performing their charitable tasks, the War Relief workers might accept the suggestion that the results of their loving labors are going to distressed and destitute people. While according to human sense this is the case, they refuse nevertheless to confine their thought to such an ultimate objective. Even as the Christian Science practitioner steadfastly and completely denies the suggestion of a person to be healed, because man is perfect and disease is a false suggestion, a nonentity—in the same manner, the Christian Science War Relief worker exercises his Christ-office of knowing that one is never distressed or destitute, even while his busy hands are performing their Samaritan activities.

Above all, he does not permit the suggestion, "Oh, how fortunate we are that we are not over there in the thick of war and destruction, but safe here at home!" For reasons already stated, one cannot afford to think of war, or any other form of evil, in terms of "over there" or "over here." Whatever seems to be "over there" is "over here" mentally, as soon as one accepts the suggestion that it is "over there." This would be a dangerous and, moreover, an unscientific admission. If one should mentally accept this, the "over there" could suggest itself the very next moment as "over here."

Knowing that there is no thought transference is an important factor in preventing evil from appearing. This is as true of evil suggestions as of good thoughts. During his peaceful hours as a War Relief worker, the Christian Scientist does not sentimentally indulge in the unscientific habit of fancying he is sewing good thoughts into the garments he is making or remaking, though he may properly know that his thoughts of love and good will certainly will bless those whose need he seeks to fill. Truly good thoughts are divinely powerful and destructive of evil and are already ever present. They need no transference in order to be divinely effective. They need only to be joyfully and understandingly acknowledged.

The restorative purpose of the war relief work reminds one of Christ Jesus' words to the three disciples he had taken with him on the mount of transfiguration. He not only reaffirmed that "Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things," but also emphasized that Elias had already come. (See Matthew 17:10–12.)

With her profound and prophetic vision, Mary Baker Eddy in modern language interprets "Elias," in part, as follows (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 585): "Christian Science, with which can be discerned the spiritual fact of whatever the material senses behold."

The scribes, with regard to whom the three disciples questioned Jesus, as they came down from the mountain, might be thought of as representing the scholastic concept of theology, preventing them from discerning Elias, or Christian Science. Consequently, scholastic theology, with its personal sense of God and man, cannot bring to the world the urgently needed restoration, preliminary to the entire obliteration of war and every other form of evil.

Members of Christian Science War Relief Committees may profitably recall this episode, which was a fitting conclusion to the preceding experience of the transfiguration. In the transfiguration, Christ Jesus showed his most promising students that, in a fuller acknowledgment, real or divine existence is gloriously effulgent and abiding, wiping out the restrictions of time and place. To human sense this experience was so unusual that it seemed fearful and dazzling. To those who in Christian Science perceive the sublime naturalness and divine innateness of the spontaneity of spiritual expression as man's true nature, the transfiguration will increasingly become an inspiration in their daily life.

War Relief workers convening and performing their duties in the brightness of spiritual glory, will aid in lessening war in the most effective manner, while showing forth true efficiency in their temporal labors. This is a most vital achievement. In one's figurative experience, the cross of earthly sorrow and depletion is replaced with the crown of divine rejoicing and fullness. Although the scribe belief, or worldly thought, cannot cognize it, Elias, as Christian Science, has come revealing existence as indestructible, full, joyous, and abundant, not human, but divine.