Article May 10, 1952 Issue

THE POWER OF THE WORD

FLORENCE L. ANSTEY

During an hour of quiet thought a student of Christian Science began to ponder the great power evidenced in God's Word as it was practiced by the early followers of Jesus. To them he was the embodiment of the living Word, so close to them in thought that it became the way of Life. Indeed, these early students of the Master's were, according to tradition, first known as "children of the way," and their word was certainly with power. In studying the New Testament, we find that what ruled this way of Life was the positive law of "Thou shalt love."

For centuries the children of Israel had been taught the Mosaic code and ritual. These rules and regulations were carried out by the priesthood with a rigidity that allowed of little mercy or love. Many obeyed them mechanically, not from their hearts. But to those who were listening, a new commandment had been given by a beloved Teacher and Master. They found that when this new law was obeyed, comprising as it did the love for God and man, the law of Moses was not denied or abolished, but, as Jesus had said, "fulfilled" in righteousness and love.

They began to see that no one loving his neighbor as himself would wish to kill him, lie to him, steal from him, or in any way maltreat him. No one could do any of these things without denying the great law of Love firmly entrenched in his heart. No wonder Jesus said that on these two great commandments, love for God and love for man, hang all the law and the prophets! Christ Jesus' teaching was with power, and the mainspring of that power was love. So we can see today that Christianity and Christian Science are both founded on the great fact of unselfed love.

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