ON BEING WITHOUT SIN

[Of Special Interest to Young People]

LESLIE C. BELL

One Sunday a young man complained in his Sunday School class of a constant feeling of tiredness and dullness. He was tired, he said, because he had to work all day in a draftsman's office and do his diploma studies at night. And yet, he explained, he could not really understand his weariness because he had tried to put his knowledge of Christian Science into practice. Among other things, he had tried to realize the truth of the statement in the Christian Science textbook that hard work may be experienced without suffering; but there had been no apparent result.

The class then turned to the passage he had referred to on page 385 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, which reads (p. 385), "Constant toil, deprivations, exposures, and all untoward conditions, if without sin, can be experienced without suffering." It was seen that in thinking of this he had neglected the words "if without sin."

"But," he objected, "I do not feel that I have in any way sinned. I work hard all the time and give of my best, both in my work and in my studies." It was accepted that he did not indulge in any of those forms of erroneous thinking commonly called sin, but further discussion brought out the fact that he felt very strongly that his employer should allow him more time to attend his lectures, and that he was working under a handicap compared with many of his fellow students. It was seen that he had admitted into thought resentment and envy, as well as a strong sense of injustice.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Editorial

"LET US ... COME BOLDLY"