Amid the prevalent unrest and confusion in the world, students of Christian Science find deep satisfaction and comfort in the glorious truths, admonitions, and promises given in their Book of books, the Bible. For instance, in the 119th Psalm is this arresting statement: "Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them."

David, through his steadfast love for God and His law of good, proved the truth of these words many times. As a young shepherd boy he challenged and conquered the giant Goliath, who had paralyzed the armies of Israel. This act of valor was so widely acknowledged that it aroused King Saul's jealousy and hatred and led him to plan David's destruction. Eventually David was forced to live as a hunted animal among the caves of the hills. But this injustice did not embitter him toward his king. Because he loved God's law, David knew no offense. Great was his peace. His love of God was such that he twice resisted the temptation to kill Saul when he lay sleeping within his power.

God is unchanging Love. He is conscious only of His own self-existent goodness. He knows nothing of the machinations of so-called mortal mind taking form in hatred or cruelty. If another power could exist. He would not be infinite; He would not be God. His creation is pure and Godlike, incapable of offense or desire to offend. The lie that says there are offenders and offenses comes from the tempter, or serpent, which says, "There shall be gods many." Should this tempter ever whisper into our ears that we have been offended, we, like David, must deny it quickly and immediately flood the heart with love. Uninterrupted, harmonious relationships are an integral part of God's plan, and this divine order is demonstrable through Christian Science.

Error is but a pretense. It has no power or reality. Taking offense at error is like taking offense at a dream. How ridiculous it would be to be angry at a friend because of a bad dream we had had of him the night before. The friend in reality was no part of the dream, and upon awakening we thank God that the dream was not true. We behold ourselves and others intact by refusing to accept as real any of error's false claims and accusations, knowing that God's idea, man, is forever perfect. If we accept the belief that our fellow man can be drawn into error's flimsy toils, we subject ourselves to its mesmerism. To keep our peace is to keep our love for God and man.

On pages 223 and 224 of "Miscellaneous Writings" Mary Baker Eddy writes, "The mental arrow shot from another's bow is practically harmless, unless our own thought barbs it." How important it is then to safeguard ourselves and others from error's intent by stripping it of its disguise, exposing its utter nothingness, and thus excluding it from consciousness.

Addressing his disciples, Jesus once said (John 14:30), "The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." The Christ-principle, which he embodied, constituted the resistless attraction of good. This good is an impenetrable armor, through which evil cannot enter or find lodgment. In the Master's Godlike consciousness, innocent of evil, there was no thought which could attract or barb a falsehood about himself or others, and this understanding blessed and healed the multitudes which followed him.

Christian Scientists should strive daily to reflect the light of Christliness which Jesus so graciously shed on all. He did not seek to personally justify himself, but sought the approval of his God and feared no other judge. Isaiah, foretelling the unimpeachableness, meekness, and might of the promised Messiah, said (53:7), "As a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." Jesus allowed the forces of evil to mock, ridicule, and even crucify him in order to prove for all time the inability of error to harm, antagonize, touch, or kill the real man, the likeness of God.

Mrs. Eddy writes on page 39 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures": "Meekly our Master met the mockery of his unrecognized grandeur. Such indignities as he received, his followers will endure until Christianity's last triumph. He won eternal honors. He overcame the world, the flesh, and all error, thus proving their nothingness." The Christ shines through Jesus' life as a glorious beacon light, pointing the way to harmony, brotherly love, and peace. When followed in humility and meekness, it unfailingly leads us to the safety which our revered Leader describes in her comforting poem "Christ My Refuge" (Poems, p. 12):

Absolute consecration to God's law, which governs all His creation in perfect harmony, enables us to experience the untouchable peace of Truth, pure and unblemished, secure throughout eternity.