Article July 21, 1951 Issue

LET US BE RID OF ENEMIES

WILLIAM PADGET

If you would be rid of an enemy, love him. Yes, love him—for our God is Love, and "God is a consuming fire" (Deut. 4:24). Speaking of the eventual rule of Christ, God's spiritual idea, as revealed in Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy tells us in the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 565), "This immaculate idea, represented first by man and, according to the Revelator, last by woman, will baptize with fire; and the fiery baptism will burn up the chaff of error with the fervent heat of Truth and Love, melting and purifying even the gold of human character."

In the Science of real being it is operative divine Love that heals the sick, comforts the sorrowing, and by its flaming nature burns up the chaff of hatred, malice, and revenge. Love that is derived from God, divine Love, is not just that sentiment which goes out from the bosom of one human being to bless another, but is a spiritual sense, a living, palpitating force which transforms mankind. Earnestly acknowledging this spiritual sense of love, its ever-operative divine nature and its ever-presence right where, according to material sense, enmity or an enemy claims to be, will let the white flame of Love divine burn up the false belief that there can be the kind of thought or the kind of man that can express enmity or act as an enemy.

The Master taught us to love our enemies. "Love ye your enemies," he said; and he added, "Your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest; for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil" (Luke 6:35). And this wise counselor is he who overcame the world, the flesh, and the devil. Before his time had fully come and he was ready to let his enemies crucify the body, that he might prove to the world that there is no death, he several times avoided being destroyed. On one occasion, when they led him to the brow of a hill to cast him down headlong, he passed through the midst of them and went his way unharmed. This illustrates the protection of that operative love which he counsels us to exercise.

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