How many students of Christian Science read the words in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 485), "Emerge gently from matter into Spirit,"as though their author, Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, had written, "Emerge slowly." Yet such an interpretation is at variance with the whole tenor of our Leader's writings, for throughout them she exhorts us to energy and vigor and urges us to "put off the old man" as fast as practicable. No, we do not need to emerge slowly from the shades of materiality into the radiance of infinite Spirit, but we do need to emerge gently.

A study of the words "gentle" and "gently" will be enlightening. These words are found in close companionship with such words as "nobility," "refinement," graciousness," "tenderness." From this it would appear that in order to accomplish anything in a gentle manner we must first chisel and smooth away the harsh, rude, rough edges of human character. This process requires patience, perseverance, and untiring effort, and is manifested in a little more grace here, a little quiet refining there. To attain to gentleness involves also the acquisition of poise—a poise so based on the demonstration of man's oneness with God that no sudden storm of external circumstances can shake it, no unsuspected internal instability betray it. Gentleness requires, also, that spiritual understanding of Love which forestalls as well as forgives wrongs.

Once in pondering these words, "Emerge gently," the writer learned a valuable lesson from the flowers. Because of very bleak and cold weather conditions, the blooming season was delayed and it seemed as though the buds would never mature. Suddenly the weather changed to sunshine and warmth, and the flowers quickly responded. There was no slowness once the flowers were given their normal conditions, but how graciously gentle was their unfolding!

Comparing this incident to mankind's emergence "from matter into Spirit," the writer saw that, given the proper conditions of thought, emergence could be both gentle and speedy. We can let the radiant warmth of divine Love shine upon our thoughts and ways, and so let being unfold in all its rare unsuspected beauty and fragrance. We can let this warmth dispel the bleak atmosphere of mortal mind expressed in cold indifference, criticism, faultfinding, chilling reserve, and self-centeredness. Then, like the flowers, we too shall find that the atmosphere of light and warmth will speed emergence.

"Think not to thwart the spiritual ultimate of all things, but come naturally into Spirit through better health and morals and as the result of spiritual growth," our Leader counsels (ibid.). Let no one think he can thwart the laws of divine Principle. No highhanded scholasticism or supercilious intellectualism can force open the exquisitely tender petals of spiritual understanding through which God reveals Himself to man. No amount of human will, human domination, or high-pressure persuasion can ever win the heart of a single man, woman, or child. But gentle living and loving can and do.

No one can thwart divine Love's design for man by trying to accomplish something through selfjustification, self-interest, volubility, or sheer weight of argument. Mind cognizes only its own pure ideas and does not take account of mortal mind's gymnastics. No one can really take the kingdom of heaven by force.

How, then, can we "emerge gently from matter into Spirit"? Our Leader points the way. She urges, "But come naturally into Spirit through better health and morals and as the result of spiritual growth." Better health is the first waymark—health which is not merely the robust appearance of a so-called sound constitution, but the health or wholeness gained through consistent right thinking, or the spiritual understanding of the law of harmony. How many dragons of physical problems, so called, would be overcome were the requirement to emerge gently more fully understood and practiced!

Better health goes along with better morals. Punctilious observance of the moral law in all its requirements is essential. Purity, integrity, and transparent honesty in the little things as well as in the big things are necessary. Moreover, Christian Science does not countenance exploitation, oppression, or extortion in any shape or form. We have no right to expect from others more than we ourselves are prepared to give of service and reward. Our Leader speaks of the progressive steps taken by Christ Jesus towards the demonstration of the spiritual idea, or Christ, in these words (MiscellaneousWritings, p. 166): "It made him an honest man, a good carpenter, and a good man, before it could make him the glorified." Many students may prefer to start the other way round—to become the glorified before becoming a useful or an honest citizen, or even a worth-while human being.

Spiritual growth, from which result "better health and morals," is attained by putting God first in our thoughts and lives, by dwelling more on the demands of Spirit and less on the demands of the world. Thought by thought and day by day choosing between Spirit and matter, good and evil, the temporal and the eternal, worldliness and unworldliness, aids our progress. "For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little," declared the prophet (Isa. 28:10). Always to nurture the spiritual idea of man, to claim man's perfection and then prove it to the best of our present ability, to realize ever more clearly the oneness and the allness of God, good, is to advance Spiritward.

So shall we continue to "emerge gently," but not slowly, "from matter into Spirit," until, as we read in Ephesians (4:13), "we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ."