Editorial January 21, 1956 Issue

ENLARGING THE BORDERS OF FAITH

Helen Wood Bauman

The disciples of Christ Jesus once said to him (Luke 17:5), "Increase our faith." And the Master replied, "If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you." On another occasion Jesus admonished his disciples (Mark 11:22), "Have faith in God." He commended the faith of those he healed, and he rebuked those who lacked this quality. He rejoiced in the faith of the centurion whose servant he healed, saying that this soldier, who was probably a pagan of Rome's legions, had more faith than his own people.

Faith implies confidence in someone or something, and faith can cover a wide range in this direction, can rest upon matter and persons or can be lifted to absolute trust in the supreme authority of Spirit. Mary Baker Eddy says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 430), "Faith should enlarge its borders and strengthen its base by resting upon Spirit instead of matter."

Christian Science healing is not blind faith cure, but it promotes faith as an essential element in the spiritual power to heal. Consequently, the Christian Scientist endeavors to have absolute confidence in the power of the truths which he declares. And his faith increases in the measure that his understanding of these spiritual truths grows. Faith is a human quality, but in its best sense it represents the human yielding to the divine. A good illustration of faith is that of the swimmer floating on the water. In floating, the swimmer yields his body to the laws of physics which hold him up. If he should stiffen with fear, he would sink. His success in staying up depends upon the completeness of his yielding.

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ENLARGING THE BORDERS OF FAITH

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