GAINING FRIENDS

ALFRED MARSHALL VAUGHN

ONE likes to have friends; but sometimes one does not have true friends because he himself is not a true friend. In other words, he is not acting as a true friend should act, and he is not thinking correctly of those whom he would have as friends. To have friends, selfishness must give place to unselfishness. One should try to give instead of to get, think of what he can do for those whom he would have as friends, and not only of his own selfish interests.

A young man gave a testimony in a Wednesday evening meeting in a Christian Science church. He said he did not seem to have many friends. In thinking about this situation he saw that he had been trying to get instead of give. So, in order to remedy this, he began to pray as he had been taught in the Christian Science Sunday School. He turned to the fact that God is Love and that His universe is the reflection of divine Love. As he thought of this true universe, wherein everything is loving, he found himself desirous of saying and doing things which would help others. Such a desire is prayer, and it brought opportunities to do unselfish and helpful things. Soon he found he had many friends.

This is the Christian Science way of gaining and keeping true friends. On page 17 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mary Baker Eddy gives, "And Love is reflected in love," as the spiritual interpretation of the line in the Lord's Prayer, "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." The way to be loved is to love.

The Bible tells us man is made in the image and likeness of God; he is that through which divine Love is made manifest. Christian Science explains that we must see ourselves as in reality this true man, the reflection of divine Love, and know that this is the only man there is. As we think of God's great love for each of His children, as we realize that God sees each of them as perfect, and understand that they reflect this great love and this true seeing, a genuine sense of love for others comes into our thought. This true love causes others to love us.

We love Christ Jesus because he was so loving and unselfish. His consecration to his great mission of revealing through his words, his works, and his life the true nature of God and man came from his realization of his true selfhood as the reflection of divine Love. Mrs. Eddy writes on page 26 of Science and Health: "A musician demonstrates the beauty of the music he teaches in order to show the learner the way by practice as well as precept. Jesus' teaching and practice of Truth involved such a sacrifice as makes us admit its Principle to be Love."

The Master said (John 13:34), "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." He loved because he knew that God is Love and that the real man is God's image and likeness. His great tenderness and compassion came from his realization of God's great love for each of His children. He was unselfish because he knew that divine Love was his Mind, his Principle. He was always aware that he was animated by the divine Principle, Love.

Through earnestly endeavoring to keep before us this true selfhood, which is the reflection of divine Love, we keep the "new commandment." We know that as the reflection in the mirror can only be governed by the original, so we as the reflection of divine Love can only be governed by Love. We should earnestly desire to be always conscious of divine Love as our Mind, our Principle. This desire, this true prayer, will enable us to come into the consciousness of infinite Love.

Mrs. Eddy writes (Science and Health, p. 20): "The truth is the centre of all religion. It commands sure entrance into the realm of Love." As one keeps the truth before him that he is actually the spiritual man, who is ever animated by the divine Principle, Love, he spontaneously expresses tenderness, unselfishness, compassion, and other qualities which come from the Mind which is Love. As he expresses these qualities, he gains many friends. He is loved because he is loving.

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. . . . And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.—Psalms 1:1—3.

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