Article April 8, 1944 Issue

Loving Our Neighbor

[Of Special Interest to Young Children]

CONSTANCE HEWARD

Christ Jesus said, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." To little people the word "neighbor" may seem difficult to understand, but it just means everybody everywhere. The conductor on the streetcar, the woman who keeps the sweet shop, the postman and the policeman, the little boy or girl who lives across the street—every one of these and every other person we meet is our neighbor; and to love him in the way that Christ Jesus meant is always to think good and truthful thoughts about him, and, if he seems to be sick or unhappy or afraid or unkind, to remember that error cannot stay with God's child because he reflects only good all the time.

When Sheila went for a holiday to the seaside with her father and mother, she found that a little boy lived in the house in which they were to stay. Sheila was a gentle and friendly little girl and she thought it would be fun to have a playmate, but Tommy was so wild and mischievous, and he said and did such frightening things, that there wasn't any happiness; there were only tears and trouble. And all the time Daddy and Mother and Sheila were trying to know the truth they had learned in Christian Science, that the real man is God's own perfect child.

One morning Mother said they would go out on the beach after lunch and take supper with them, and Tommy, who loved a picnic, begged so hard to go that Mother promised to take him. But Tommy was naughtier than ever that morning, and after lunch Sheila tearfully asked that he might be left at home. Mother said he should certainly be left at home, and then she suddenly remembered that Mrs. Eddy says to all Christian Scientists (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 252), "Keep yourselves busy with divine Love." and she knew that she had not been busy with divine Love but very busy with thoughts of anger and resentment towards Tommy and thoughts of pity for her own little girl. Very earnestly and humbly she told this to Daddy and Sheila, and they all determined to begin at once to obey our Leader. They remembered that on page 470 of the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy says, "The children of God have but one Mind." They knew that the one Mind is divine Love, our Father-Mother God, who has no naughty children because He has made every child of His to reflect Him in goodness and gentleness and loving-kindness. They knew that Tommy's real self was the very image of divine Love, and while they were knowing this Tommy ran into the room to ask if he might go out with them. And Mother took him on her lap and said: "Yes, Tommy, you may go with us. We are going to take a good little boy out—a little boy who is kind and gentle, and who knows how to play nicely with Sheila." And Tommy jumped down and ran to his mother in the kitchen, saying joyfully: "She wasn't angry. She loved me. She loved me."

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