The challenge of materialism thrown down to the Christian church is a serious one and calls for much more than mere unification, helpful and desirable as this may appear to be. Effective unity can be achieved in only one way: through spiritualization of thought. By means of this the spiritual facts of being can be made the basis of our refutation of the claims of materialism, for these would do violence to the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount.

Spiritual facts must be spiritually interpreted if they are to be used in meeting the atheistic reactions to Christianity that are prevalent today. Even though Christian Scientists are at present seldom brought into ecumenical discussions, they are nevertheless doing much prayerful thinking on the needs of the Christian church in this century.

It is evident throughout Mrs. Eddy's writings that she gave thoughtful consideration to the subject of Christian unity. A telling sentence in her article entitled "One Cause and Effect" is this one (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 21): "As the ages advance in spirituality, Christian Science will be seen to depart from the trend of other Christian denominations in no wise except by increase of spirituality."

Our Leader evidently foresaw the "advance in spirituality" that would be the answer of the Christian church to the attempt of materialism to bring mankind under its control. Christian Science has a substantial contribution to make in this advance, and Christian Scientists are earnestly applying themselves to aid in making this contribution by proving the allness of Spirit and the consequent unreality of matter.

Doctrines and creeds admittedly serve a useful purpose in orthodox religion. But they are the work of men's hands. They had to be formulated and offered to others. Worshiping doctrines and creeds, regardless of how exalted they may be, could be considered a form of idolatry. It is God, Spirit, who is to be worshiped. Christ Jesus told the woman at Jacob's well (John 4:23), "The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him."

Paul referred to the Church as "the body of Christ" (I Cor. 12: 27) and said that in this body there are diversities of gifts, such as those which characterize apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. But he also said that there is "one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all" (Eph. 4:5,6).

God, Spirit, being All-in-all, everything that really exists is spiritual, and there can be nothing apart from or opposed to infinite Spirit. To believe otherwise is to deny Spirit's infinitude. Evil, from which Jesus came to save men, has nothing to do with God, who is infinite good. When this good is seen to exist without an opposite, the nothingness, yet deceptiveness, of evil will be understood and demonstrated, for while evil is nothing, it deceptively appears to be something to darkened material thought.

A potent solvent is required with which to dissolve that which is rendering the Christian church partially ineffective. With clear spiritual discernment, Mrs. Eddy beheld the nature of this solvent, what it would have to do, and how it would do it. This is what she says on page 242 of Science and Health: "In patient obedience to a patient God, let us labor to dissolve with the universal solvent of Love the adamant of error,—self-will, self-justification, and self-love,—which wars against spirituality and is the law of sin and death."

Self-love, self-justification, and self-will are carnal qualities that control people until they learn that these are "the adamant of error...which wars against spirituality" and demonstrate their dominion over these qualities. When such elements are fairly dealt with, Christians will find themselves of one Mind, in which unity in no way interferes with individuality.

Whatever "wars against spirituality" tends to materialize worship of the one God, Spirit. Spirituality, then, is the unifying element without which we Christians shall seek in vain to reconcile our differences, our attitudes, our habits, and our prejudices.

When all Christians come to agree that spirituality is required in order to "worship the Father in spirit and in truth," true unity of purpose and method will be achieved, Christianity will fulfill its mission, and "the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Isa. 11:9).

Speaking of the unity of Christian Science with other Christian denominations, Mrs. Eddy writes in "Pulpit and Press" (pp. 21, 22): "Our unity with churches of other denominations must rest on the spirit of Christ calling us together. It cannot come from any other source. Popularity, self-aggrandizement, aught that can darken in any degree our spirituality, must be set aside. Only what feeds and fills the sentiment with unworldliness, can give peace and good will towards men."

As spiritual discernment enables Christians to see through the deceptive claims of evil and behold good as infinite, that which separates them will be overcome, and the Scriptural promise fulfilled (Rev. 21:3), "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God."

Ralph E. Wagers