One of the most comforting revelations which Christian Science has brought to the world is the fact that the real man, as the reflection of his creator, the infinite Father-Mother God, never is and never can be alone. It is obvious that a reflection cannot exist apart from its original. Christian Science shows that it is the privilege of each individual to realize and prove that the loving Father did not create His children and then cast them adrift to fend for themselves, but that He is ever present, guiding, guarding, and cherishing His own.

Christ Jesus understood that the Christ, his real, ideal self, was inseparable from the Father. "I and my Father are one," he said (John 10:30). He claimed no power of his own origination; but he did claim his inseparability from the great divine source of all power. For over nineteen centuries, Christians have been accepting as true the at-one-ment of Christ Jesus with God.

With the coming of the promised Comforter, through Mary Baker Eddy's discovery of Christian Science in 1866, the words and works of Christ Jesus, the master Metaphysician, became the life pattern for each and every earnest Christian Scientist.

Everyone is entitled to prove, and must progressively prove, his inseparability from the Father as a child of God, just as Jesus did. This is our birthright: that we are never alone, never separate from God. In proportion as their inseparability from God becomes clear to Christian Scientists, they emulate the works of Christ Jesus and heal through Christ, Truth.

Jesus disclosed the path that we must take when he said (John 8: 29), "He that hath sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him." To do always the things that please God is the way to apprehend and claim our close communion with the Father, to realize, as Jesus did, that we are never alone. As we commune daily with God, the Master's Sermon on the Mount becomes a guide we dare not ignore or fail to follow in practice.

When we do the things that please God, we no longer strive for human power, prestige, or position, for material security alone, or for the acquisition of mere creature comforts. Once realizing that we have the priceless opportunity to reach, step by step, spiritual at-one-ment with the Father, which destroys all loneliness and doubt and gives one dominion, we gladly loosen our hold on lesser aims and ambitions. And we desire to become, day by day, a little more worthy of the priceless gift of Christian Science.

We need to be watchful lest fear insinuate itself into our thinking and try to dim our radiant assurance of God's ever-presence. We must learn to acknowledge God's constant motivation in every event of our experience. Sometimes, for instance, when confronted by a decision to be made or a choice of paths, even after prayerful work we may hesitate a bit fearfully, feeling alone and without guidance.

How comforting at such times is Mrs. Eddy's statement in her book "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 10): "The good cannot lose their God, their help in times of trouble. If they mistake the divine command, they will recover it, countermand their order, retrace their steps, and reinstate His orders, more assured to press on safely."

Again, sometimes adverse circumstances persist in our lives, or even seem to grow worse despite earnest work. Then, when to mortal sense our way seems hardest, is the time to cling closely to the realization that we are never alone, that God's goodness is ever present and must be manifested in a way that we can understand.

Though the inseparability of the real man from his Father-Mother God is an ever-present fact, we must claim this fact, persistently and vigorously, if we would bring its blessings into our present human experience. This is never more true than when doubts and fears are clamoring for recognition.

One earnest Christian Scientist came to the point in her experience where the symptoms of a physical illness were so alarming that fear whispered that death was not only inevitable but imminent. In this situation she became thankful that it had not even occurred to her to seek aid other than in Christian Science, and she determined that she would keep on trying to live for Science.

Following this human sense of love and gratitude for this Science came a clearer and more scientific realization that God is Life, not death, that she was not alone with this seeming problem, and that God was expressing Himself through her, His reflection. She felt suddenly and happily sure that God, self-enforcing divine Principle, was quite capable of taking care of His own.

Thus reinforced, she was able to resist strongly the threat of death with the calm assurance that Life was present now as always. She was enabled to cast aside all fear and to rest confidently in the faith that she was not alone, that the battle was not hers but God's, and that God was then as always working out His purpose. "God is right here," was her last conscious thought as she fell into a peaceful sleep.

On awaking the next morning, quite free, she arose and went about her duties with a singing heart. "God is right here," was still closely with her, as comforting as a hand on her shoulder, and she knew with complete assurance that never again could she believe that she was alone.

Many of us have to go through deep waters to learn to hold fast to our Father's hand. When things look black, may we have the grace to say, with Paul (Rom. 8:28), "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

Mrs. Eddy amplifies and further expounds this message where she tells us in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 10):

"Whatever envy, hatred, revenge —the most remorseless motives that govern mortal mind—whatever these try to do, shall 'work together for good to them that love God.'

"Why?

"Because He has called His own, armed them, equipped them, and furnished them defenses impregnable. Their God will not let them be lost; and if they fall they shall rise again, stronger than before the stumble."

As confidence replaces doubt in the thought of a Christian Scientist, the belief of social loneliness also is dispelled. To mortal sense, it is possible for one to be lonely even in the midst of a crowd. But the Christian Scientist's greatest happiness is to be alone with his God, and he cherishes those moments above all, wherever he may be.

Interestingly, as his sense of closeness to his Father increases, he finds human companionship improving also, both in quality and quantity. He begins to prove, in a humble way, the truth of the Master's saying (John 12:32), "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me."

Never again, though, will the student lean heavily on human companionship as he once believed that he needed to. For he is learning with ever-increasing joy that when he puts God first, man is never alone. He rejoices to say with his Leader, in her beautiful poem "Upward" (Poems, p. 19):