Article May 20, 1944 Issue

Entering into the Tents of Shem

JEANETTE F. SUTTON

A Student of Christian Science, with whom the writer is acquainted, was one day the unwilling listener to an unkind report concerning a friend. A little later, somewhat disturbed by the error she had heard voiced, and feeling the need of assurance, she turned to her Bible. As she opened it her eye fell upon the passage in the ninth chapter of Genesis which deals with the three men, Ham, Shem, and Japheth, and, knowing that these three names were defined in the Glossary of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, the student read the account, with which she was not familiar.

Here it is related that Ham, upon observing certain indiscretions of his father, unkindly carried the news to his brothers, Shem and Japheth. Immediately, in a spirit of humility and loving-kindness, Shem and Japheth took steps to protect their father, thereby rebuking the maliciousness and evil-mindedness of their brother Ham.

In the Glossary of Science and Health (p. 587) "Ham" is defined as "corporeal belief; sensuality; slavery; tyranny." As the Christian Scientist, considered this definition, she clearly saw that one who indulged in talebearing was manifesting to some degree the unlovely traits of Ham, and was allowing himself to be tyrannized over and enslaved by error. She was then and there healed of any tendency she had had to bear false witness against her brother, for the ugliness of such a procedure had been made plain to her, and she did not thereafter find it difficult to refrain from unkind criticism. The light thrown upon the Scriptures through the revelation of Christian Science had brought healing and regeneration to the student, just as it has done to innumerable other searchers for Truth.

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