Article October 1, 1949 Issue

SELF-FORGETFULNESS IS PRAYER

THOMAS B. HUDSON

True self-forgetfulness is the worship of God. It is the prayer in which a material sense of self is lost in the knowledge of God's allness. As one begins to realize the allness of God, his identity is not lost, but found in man, God's image, likeness, or reflection.

The self that is to be forgotten is the corporeal, mortal personality with its selfishness, troubles, pains, and imaginary pleasures. Forgetting the mortal is no loss, since the limited human concept exists only as a mistaken view of the true man, and, as the Bible declares (Job 14:1), it is "of few days, and full of trouble. Surely mankind can only be blessed by the prayer which forsakes this view of man for the truth, that man is individual consciousness, reflecting the joy, peace, wisdom, love, and eternality of God. Man is satisfied with this glorified understanding of himself. That the forsaking of an incorrect concept of man for the true concept is prayer, Mary baker Eddy explains on page 15 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," where she writes, "Self-forgetfulness, purity, and affection are constant prayers."

Many are willing to worship God in this way once they are enlightened by Christian Science as to how to sacrifice belief in a physical man with a personal mind. This Science defines God as "the great I am; the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-acting, all-wise, all-loving, and eternal; Principle; Mind; Soul; Spirit; Life; Truth; Love; all substance; intelligence" (ibid., p. 587.) The frequent use of the word "all" in the definition makes plain the entireness of this supreme, infinite good, or God. Since God is All, man cannot be outside of His allness, and this fact not only shows man to be entirely dependent on God for his existence, but also indicates that he enjoys the fullness of God's goodness. Christian Scientists grow in strength and spiritual understanding as they forget self and its claims, acknowledge God as "the all-knowing, all-seeing, all-acting, all-wise, all-loving, and eternal," and continue this contention until mans unity with God appears.

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