Many are searching for good. Many yearn to understand God, to know and do His will. This is evident in varying degrees in individuals, and in some it is not presently apparent. Often without knowing it, men are longing for the comfort of God's presence, for His blessing.

Men seek holiness because of an inner awareness that it is the highest expression of manhood. They yearn for goodness because of the realization that only thus can they draw near to God and be approved by Him. Biblical as well as contemporary history indicates that mankind often reach out for higher and holier attainment and search persistently for an understanding of Life, God.

Reaching out for good is an instinctive desire and effort to awaken from the illusion of corporeal existence and to claim man's true spiritual status. Mankind's search for God, the yearning for holiness evidenced by men, is an ever-recurring manifestation of such awakening. A hymn in the Christian Science Hymnal includes these lines (No. 51):

The light by which men are enabled to awaken from the belief of material living to the reality of spiritual blessedness is the Christ, Truth. This mental illumination was exemplified by Jesus, who said (John 12:46), "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness."

Since the discovery of Christian Science by Mary Baker Eddy in 1866 the way to holiness has been clearly illumined, for in Jesus' words and works she discerned the key to mankind's full awakening or redemption. She followed Paul's injunction to "let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5). Today the desire for holiness is given direction and impetus as men study and practice the teachings of Christian Science. Thus we all learn to emulate Jesus, that is, to put on the Mind of Christ through the clear comprehension of God and of man's unchanging relationship to Him.

The longing to be good should be heeded. It is the inauguration of a more satisfying human experience. Each one must embark on the journey of moral and spiritual enlightenment and then proceed patiently as the way unfolds, not assuming that complete salvation will be achieved at once. In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy writes (p. 254), "Imperfect mortals grasp the ultimate of spiritual perfection slowly; but to begin aright and to continue the strife of demonstrating the great problem of being, is doing much."

The process of demonstrating holiness, or putting on the Mind of Christ, includes learning the truths of God and man and then proving what is learned by applying it to everyday affairs. What are these truths? They include the fact that God is All, the only creator, that He creates good only, that anything unlike good is not of God; hence it is not actual but exists solely in supposititious mortal consciousness.

These truths show us that man is created by God in His own likeness and is the expression of infinite good only; that matter and all so-called material laws are nonexistent, being false concepts of the real spiritual creation. As we establish these basic facts in individual consciousness, we eliminate the effects of false beliefs: evil, disease, and death.

The truths of Christian Science are learned by daily study of the Bible and of Mrs. Eddy's writings, particularly the study of the Lesson-Sermons given in the Christian Science Quarterly. Thus is one's consciousness filled with a Christlike understanding of God and His creation. Human experience is the product of human thinking, and as Godlike thoughts permeate consciousness, good is manifested increasingly in one's affairs. This progressive spiritual enlightenment is expressed in increasing health, security, and accomplishment.

All must come to realize that striving to be holier is the necessity of mankind. It is mandatory that each one overcome false beliefs. This is a prerequisite to attaining the heavenly kingdom. Human endeavor and human footsteps are essential to this end. Mrs. Eddy emphasizes this. She writes (Science and Health, p. 240): "Mortals move onward towards good or evil as time glides on. If mortals are not progressive, past failures will be repeated until all wrong work is effaced or rectified."

As men continue to seek and to strive to put on the Mind of Christ and to understand its significance according to the teachings of Christian Science, they become spiritual healers, as were the early Christians. They are equipped with the spiritual comprehension that enables them to heal themselves and also to assist others to overcome their difficulties. Thus Scientists become true followers of the Master and aid in the diffusing of the Christly light, in the sharing of its great radiance and its blessings with mankind.

What could be more gratifying than to work out one's problems through spiritual understanding and power and then to assist one's neighbor to do likewise? Truth is demonstrated daily and hourly by many thousands of earnest students whose search for and demonstration of holiness is bearing fruit in heavenly harmony and in selfless service.