Article April 6, 1963 Issue

Universal Activity

What a blessed privilege it is to protect and support the work of our Reading Rooms! This universal activity is a vital and integral part of church as divinely revealed to Mary Baker Eddy, the beloved Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science.

When serving in the Reading Room, one soon finds it is never sufficient to merely put in an appearance on the designated days of service; there is vital metaphysical work to be done for the unfoldment of this activity in all its aspects in our community. As church members, and particularly as librarians and Reading Room workers, we have the opportunity of proving through Christian Science the practicality of this right activity.

A librarian was greatly inspired by the following statement of our Leader in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 165): "As an active portion of one stupendous whole, goodness identifies man with universal good." She saw that branches of The Mother Church the world over are united in presenting Christian Science to those seeking a practical understanding of God. One evening as she was contemplating the wide scope of Reading Room work, a wonderful sense of divine Love unfolded in her consciousness. She saw this activity as "an active portion of one stupendous whole"; so she was not surprised when in a short time a Spanish-speaking stranger came in. He pointed to a copy of The Herald of Christian Science, Spanish Edition, displayed in the window and asked to purchase it. While conversing with him, the librarian picked up the Christian Science Quarterly and explained its use in connection with the daily study of the Lesson-Sermon. This caught his interest. When the young man left he had his copy of the Herald, several pamphlets in Spanish, and the Quarterly, and expressed his desire to return when his ship again touched their port. The activity of our Reading Rooms is indeed universal, both in its mission and in the unlimited blessings it bestows.