Article April 11, 1953 Issue

"AND THIS IS CHRISTIAN SCIENCE"

MARJORY ELVINA GILLINGS

Tradition records that when the early Christians once gathered round the beloved Apostle John and eagerly asked him to tell them about Jesus, his teachings and marvelous healing works, John sat quietly listening to their questions and after a few moments gently said: "Little children, love one another. Little children, love one another." Love certainly motivated Jesus' dealings with his fellow men. He fed the multitude, stilled the storm at sea, restored to life and activity the widow's only son in Nain, Jairus' beloved young daughter, and Lazarus, the only brother of Martha and Mary.

John tells us that "God is love" (I John 4:8). We also learn in the first chapter of Genesis that God, the creator, saw everything that He had made and that it was very good. Love can see only perfection. As we see perfection we love, and as we truly love we see perfection. This perfection cannot be seen if the evidence before the physical senses is taken as real. Jesus heeded not this evidence, but healed in spite of it. He lifted thought above the material senses to glimpse the harmony and presence of the kingdom of God. Jesus was activated by unselfishness. For instance, when he and his disciples were being tossed about in a small boat at sea and the disciples, in fear, awakened Jesus, who had been peacefully sleeping, the Master did not huddle in the stern and pray to be saved from drowning or seasickness. No, Jesus embraced the whole situation in his healing thought and rebuked the storm, with the result that the tempest was stilled and all were safe.

Unselfed, impartial, universal love characterizes the Christian teaching and way of life. We see as we read the Bible record that rugged and colossal character Paul being transformed by love's gentle influence until he could give us his wonderful discourse on charity (I Cor. 13), which is love without self-interest.

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