Editorial September 29, 1945 Issue

Can We Not Watch?

Margaret Morrison

No more poignant cry has ever been uttered than that query of Christ Jesus to his sleeping disciples in the garden of Gethsemane, "What, could ye not watch with me one hour?" Today through the dream of the warring senses that penetrating question comes to every student of Christian Science. Can we not watch with the Christ, Truth, that salvation from all evil may be made manifest? This our watch is not necessarily from the garden of Gethsemane, but it can be from the mount of revelation to which we have been led by Christian Science. For what shall we watch from this mount of vision? For wisdom and understanding, Life and Love, the dawn of reality, keeping our eyes not on the dissolving night, but on the dawning day.

It is an individual watch, and the faithfulness of one's watch depends on his evaluation of Christian Science. One may ask: "What does Christian Science mean to me? How much value do I place upon it?" In one's first approach to Christian Science he may regard it as a personal panacea, something to smooth out the difficulties of human living, and make more comfortable the dream of life in matter. But unless one sees the Christ, Truth, and realizes the demand for ever-continuing spiritual growth, the panacea loses its virtue, and progress in Christian Science is retarded. Then one may wonder why so many difficulties arise; why he does not progress more quickly; why his concept of church becomes empty and confused; why he seems to have lost his joy and enthusiasm.

This is a good time to take an honest inventory of motives, aims, and desires, to see just what Christian Science does mean in one's life—whether it is a spiritual means to a material end, or whether it is an end in itself, as the knowledge of God, which Jesus declared to be eternal life. One may ask himself which he loves and seeks more—the gifts or the Giver. Loving the Giver supremely he does not ask, "What will Christian Science give to me?" but, "What will Christian Science reveal to me?"

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