Article March 15, 1952 Issue

"THE LESSON OF TO-DAY"

OLIVIA PUTNAM WHITTAKER

Humanity's great need at this momentous hour in its search for peace is to gain a spiritual sense of existence. The spiritual conception of being includes all that is needed to bring the much-longed-for world peace and good will among men. To understand existence as it actually is in Spirit brings harmony and joy into the home, into church, and into business. This understanding is the basis of unity between nations. The human viewpoint of existence must yield to the spiritual viewpoint. "To impersonalize scientifically the material sense of existence—rather than cling to personality—is the lesson of to-day," declares Mary Baker Eddy on page 310 of "Miscellaneous Writings."

True existence, as revealed by Christian Science, is the expression of one indivisible Life, one Mind, or God. Being ever at the standpoint of perfection, true existence is free from deterioration or destruction. It can never be threatened by any material force, nor can it ever come to an end. It remains forever the spiritual reflection of one infinite God. According to the finite, personal conception of being, existence is divided into many lives, or persons, each having a mind and life of his own. To the physical senses, man seems to be a human, finite person, whose life begins at birth and ends in death. The substance of man is supposed to be material, subject to disease, decay, and dissolution. This false conception of being lies at the root of all human discord. From it arises the friction of criticism, jealousy, and envy in personal relationships. It fans the fire of hatred and strife between nations and engenders mankind's growing desperation and fear of annihilation.

These contradictory views of existence are defined succinctly by Mrs. Eddy in her book Retrospection and Introspection" (p. 60): "Science reveals Life as a complete sphere, as eternal, self-existent Mind; material sense defines life as a broken sphere, as organized matter, and mind as something separate from God." Let us reassure ourselves with the divine fact and relinquish the material concept. Let us also accept the fact that the manifestation of self-existent Mind constitutes one's true spiritual selfhood. Let us know that this Mind is the Mind of man and the Mind by which man declares, "I exist; I am conscious."

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