The tendency of human reasoning, uninstructed by spiritually scientific enlightenment, is to pigeonhole everything under a cut-and-dried system of material rationalization. It would conveniently dispose of Christian Science by this means, numbering it among other new sects which have sprung up during the past century.

The divine revelation of Christian Science stands today by its proven ability to heal sin and sickness. Because of this proof it cannot be relegated to a convenient oblivion by mere human opinion or to a small place in the catalogue of human affairs. The followers of Christian Science, however, never more so than today, need, as did the wise virgins of Jesus' parable, to keep their lamps trimmed and burning. The early pioneer work of Christian Science has now been largely accomplished, and the temptation to take Christian Science for granted often may whisper subtly and persuasively, if not openly and blatantly.

In his demonstrations of his mastery over every phase of materiality and evil which confronted him, Christ Jesus demonstrated his humility and unselfed love for God and man. "Jesus represented Christ, the true idea of God." In this manner Mrs. Eddy explains his divinely bestowed ability to heal both the sick and the sinful and to uplift the sorrowing to new hope and restored happiness.

In the same passage, which appears on page 316 of Science and Health, she continues, "Hence the warfare between this spiritual idea and perfunctory religion, between spiritual clearsightedness and the blindness of popular belief, which led to the conclusion that the spiritual idea could be killed by crucifying the flesh."

The popular human belief that there are many separate minds, largely at variance with each other, or formed into mass groups and subject to many divergent influences and controls, would tempt Christian Scientists to believe it realistic to estimate the position of Christian Science in terms of mere numbers. This subtle suggestion would also induce Christian Scientists to believe that their influence is slight and unlikely to effect important trends of world thought.

Alert to erroneous arguments of the carnal mind, the Scientist sees, through clear spiritual penetration, that such persuasions, if admitted into thought, would bring about apathy, thus persuading even the right thinker, if it were possible, that Christian Science is merely another religious sect with relatively few members.

On this premise the argument of error would belittle and disparage the great Cause of Christian Science, so that the Christian Scientist might begin to lose interest in his church, and his previous devotion might evaporate, leaving him in a state of apathy. According to these arguments, the stage would then be set for the eventual dismemberment and destruction of his spiritual inspiration and the consequent foundering of the Cause of Christian Science.

The prophetic perception of Christ Jesus clearly embraces the needs of the challenging age in which we are now living. In his famous parable of the wise and the foolish virgins, he shows that God's law inevitably blesses and protects the humble and alert thinker and by the same process brings the rod of correction to the complacent and apathetic.

The challenge of Christian Science is to be taken up by its followers and the unreality of suffering, not the submission to a tacit sympathy with it, proved. This challenge continues while there remains any vestige of belief in man as finite, fleshly, and material.

Such challenges have frequently confronted me, seeking to shake my faith in Christian Science despite many deeply impressive experiences of healing and regeneration. Like Elijah under the juniper tree, I have more than once sat down to commiserate with myself, allowing apathy, boredom, and despair to subject me to their own special and devastating punishments.

But, like Elijah, I have also been roused by the angel voice of divine Love, bidding me arise and repair to the mount of inspiration and vision, to listen anew to the still small voice of divine direction, and to leave the stultifying lees of self and sense for a more unselfed service in the Father's vineyard.

This unselfed service always silences apathy and does away with "perfunctory religion," which is devoid of the vitality and joy of spiritual inspiration. The need is to seek and gain a new and higher spiritual perspective; to use better the divine talents we each have at hand; to pray continuously for more spiritual light so that we may see the way that lies before us, the way which is always that of unselfed love for God and man.

In the midst of this challenge to mortal sense, in which we are called upon to prove its baseless and illusory nature, it is comforting to remind ourselves frequently that the "seed is in itself" (Gen. 1:11); that, understanding man to be the child of divine Love, we possess the means to accomplish our divinely appointed work and to rise to the heights of spiritual vision, which will lead us and our fellowmen on to the joyous uplands of the spiritual consciousness of freedom and dominion, which is our divine right.