Editorial June 19, 1954 Issue

HOW WILL YOU SPEND YOUR VACATION?

Harold Molter

Ordinarily a vacation is considered a period free from one's accustomed duties. It is interesting that an obsolete meaning of the word vacation is given in a dictionary as a time for contemplation. And this definition is not to be ignored by the Christian Scientist in considering arrangements for his vacation period.

The usual questions of what to do and where to go present an opportunity to decide what one's object is in taking a vacation. Certainly the Christian Scientist cannot think of it as a period in which to spend days in restoring or building up physical health and strength. This object is never accomplished through spending hours in bed or moving one's body to another locality, or merely changing one's food. Health and strength are mental, and a change of thought—not of physical environment or other material means—can restore health and strength to the body quickly. The Christian Scientist, therefore, recognizes that the true purpose of a vacation is not primarily exercising and renewing the physical body, but waiting on God, and renewing thought.

One's first duty, then, is to turn to divine Mind and seek its guidance that one may be obedient in fulfilling God's plan in all his ways. Through selfless prayer he is led so to plan his vacation that it may be a period of mental refreshment, profitable in joyous activity, associations, and achievement. Whatever his plan, the Scientist resolves to turn always to his friend and counselor—Christian Science—to guide him every step of the way. He realizes that he can never take a vacation away from God and His ideas, or from the Christian Science textbooks, the Bible and "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, which bring him constant renewal and refreshment of thought. In the Manual of The Mother Church Mrs. Eddy writes (Art. XVII, Sect. 1): "A Christian Scientist is not fatigued by prayer, by reading the Scriptures or the Christian Science textbook. Amusement or idleness is weariness. Truth and Love rest the weary and heavy laden."

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