Article August 4, 1956 Issue

"BE NOT AFRAID"

ROBERT WILLIAM BAYLES

To be unafraid seems a goal very far from the experience of most people today, yet the Master, Christ Jesus, taught his followers not to be afraid. An outstanding incident, which illustrates this teaching, occurred when Jesus' disciples preceded him across the Sea of Galilee toward Capernaum. While they rowed, a storm blew up and caused them to fear for their safety. Jesus approached their boat, walking on the sea, and called to them (John 6:20), "It is I; be not afraid." We read, "Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went."

Fear is such a villain in world thought today that most of mankind are willing to say, "I wish I could be without fear, but how can I?" Through its unique recognition of man as the perfect, spiritual reflection of God, Christian Science reveals how one can be fearless. In this Science genuine manhood is the image and likeness of God, as is set forth in the first chapter of Genesis. Fear cannot be found in that likeness. Fear is only the effect of believing the evidence of the physical senses. These senses are referred to by Paul as "the carnal mind," which, he says, "is enmity against God" (Rom. 8:7) and which produces and supports all the fear anyone ever experiences.

The personal senses claim that mortals are constituted of real substance, governed by so-called laws of lack, deterioration, and destruction. Since fear is based on beliefs of matter as real, the method by which Christian Science destroys fear becomes clear: this Science replaces material beliefs with spiritual truths. And one of the fundamental truths is the fact that man is not a suffering, sinning, fearful mortal, but a spiritual and perfect idea.

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