Article March 27, 1954 Issue

RIGHT APPRAISAL

MARGARET GWENDOLYN MC CULLOCH

To support the student of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy left specific counsel throughout her published works. In "Miscellaneous Writings" she counsels (p. 154), "Watch diligently; never desert the post of spiritual observation and self-examination." Her statement actually constitutes a requirement. Upon self-examination one may discover, deeply imbedded in human consciousness, many tendencies which lead earthward and not heavenward. One of these is the tendency silently to appraise others by human standards. Greater freedom, health, and guilelessness come into the experience of Christian Scientists as this tendency is overcome by faithfulness at the post of spiritual observation and self-examination.

True appraisal is the recognition of man as God's perfect spiritual child. Christ Jesus both detected and dismissed error that confronted him, and so should we. Our Leader indicates that we need to remove the personal sense of anyone from observation or study. The error of others we hold either by sympathy or by weakness, and neither thought process do we wish. When the error of silently appraising others was uncovered to the writer, much self-examination and spiritual observation in the light of Christian Science revealed to her the way in which she could spiritualize consciousness. She found help in Shakespeare's words,

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