Article July 12, 1952 Issue

"THEY NEED NOT DEPART"

DOROTHY WAGNER JOHNSON

In the Gospel of Matthew we read (14: 15,16): "And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat." Jesus' words may be construed as a sacred command to all his followers to know that there is no place where divine Love is not. In the desert of material beliefs of war, fear, lack, sin, and disease there is help at hand if we turn in prayer to our heavenly Father-Mother God.

If someone says, "This disease is of such long duration that there is no help for me; it is too late now," let the sufferer learn, as the multitude did, that he need not depart to find help, or God. If he is tempted to turn to material means, to "buy victuals," such as drugs or any material so-called aids, let him know that in reality man is complete now, not needing unintelligent matter to give him a lift over any belief of discord, be it physical or mental. Mary Baker Eddy writes in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 453), "A Christian Scientist's medicine is Mind, the divine Truth that makes man free."

If the senses aver that we are in a desert place standing still, let us remember that this is the time to be more persistent in our daily study of the Bible and Science and Health, along with the other authorized literature on Christian Science. As we study and put into practice what we learn we find that when seemingly standing still we can learn to listen, for on page 89 of the textbook we read, "Spirit, God, is heard when the senses are silent." So these standing-still periods need not be full of discouragement, doubt, or fear, but times for gaining more spirituality and realizing more fully that man is complete, satisfied, cared for, and loved by his ever-present Father-Mother God, with whom all things are possible.

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