Article November 4, 1950 Issue

LOOK FOR GOOD, NOT FOR ERROR

PARK WOLAVER

Occasionally a student of Christian Science struggling with a prolonged human problem says: "Some error in my consciousness must be causing the problem, or I would be healed. Search as I may, the error remains hidden. I don't know what more I can do." There is more he can do. Has he yet filled consciousness to overflowing with Godlike thoughts? In a consciousness filled with spiritual truth, error cannot remain hidden, nor can it remain. Mary Baker Eddy writes, "The way to extract error from mortal mind is to pour in truth through flood-tides of Love" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 201). Various aspects of this method are especially interesting, and to consider them should be helpful.

The question of detecting error needs to be understood according to the instruction of Christian Science, part of which is that error cannot be detected by God or by His spiritual likeness, man. God, Truth, is All, and His allness allows no place for error of any kind. Error is but an illusion of physical sense, a nonexistent belief. Again, God is pure Mind. If Mind were to detect error even as a belief, it would have to be conscious of error, an obvious impossibility. The prophet Habakkuk says of God (Hab. 1:13), "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity." As for man, Mind's idea, he too is oblivious of error, for he is included in Mind as idea. The deduction must be that detecting error is an activity of the human consciousness imbued with Truth, not an activity of God or the real man.

Moreover, although divine Mind cannot detect error, Mind alone uncovers it to human sense. Centuries ago the Psalmist prayed (139:23, 24), "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." In our age Mrs. Eddy explains (Science and Health, p. 542), "Truth, through her eternal laws, unveils error." And farther on she says, "Let Truth uncover and destroy error in God's own way, and let human justice pattern the divine."

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