Article January 24, 1948 Issue

THE JOY OF LOVING THE NEIGHBOR

HOUGHTON FURR

The foundation of Christian Science practice is love for God and man. Mary Baker Eddy emphatically declares (Miscellaneous Writings, pp. 357, 358), "Divine Love is the substance of Christian Science, the basis of its demonstration, yea, its foundation and superstructure." This clearly reveals Science as established on the basis of the two commandments given by Jesus (Matt. 22:37, 39): "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind," and, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Of the latter, Paul wrote (Rom. 13:10), "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."

The practitioner of this Science knows that real love is the realization that only what God knows about man as His image or reflection is true about his brother. Harmony, goodness, and perfection characterize the spiritual idea, man. Every quality and characteristic which does not express God's nature must be denied as spurious. When the spiritual reality of man's true being is understood and claimed, the inharmonious evidence of the senses disappears.

The fact that God is Love excludes the possibility of any sinful, unlovely quality in His universe. The Christian Scientist's work is to recognize that man is God's reflection, created in His likeness "male and female." Therefore he is spiritual and perfect. Every quality of the real man is derived from Love; every action is governed by Mind. The utilization of this understanding frees from selfishness and hatred.

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