Article January 1, 1977 ISSUE

Work to Do

JOHN S. PARKER

It was 3 a.m., but I was wide awake.

What's bothering me that I can't sleep, that I feel a vague apprehension and unhappiness? I kept asking myself. Our family is OK. All of us are getting along just fine, and the future looks bright enough, I kept reassuring myself.

I stared into the darkness. Then slowly I began to realize I was bothered by a sense of futility, a feeling that I needed to be doing something more meaningful, as they say nowadays. Life had become boresome.

A passage from Shakespeare's Macbeth came to me:

To-morrow, and to-morow, and to-morrow
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time.

What can I do to be more inspired? I asked myself again. The answer came from the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy—a book I had read and treasured for many years. Reading and studying this book had freed me from various types of bondage, including tuberculosis, deteriorating sight, and the smoking habit. I knew many of Mrs. Eddy's passages by heart, and now I recalled one of them: "For true happiness, man must harmonize with his Principle, divine Love; the Son must be in accord with the Father, in conformity with Christ."^{Science and Health, p. 337
;} Then another statement: "Happiness is spiritual, born of Truth and Love. It is unselfish; therefore it cannot exist alone, but requires all mankind to share it."^{ibid., p. 57
;}

That's it! I exclaimed.

Before turning off the light I had been reading about the situation in the Middle East. Pretty hopeless, I had decided—a real stalemate.

Was that the way to think about it? I knew better. I began to pray, to realize that Love's ideas are not at war with one another. In spite of the mortal picture of strife, Arab and Israeli are in reality the sons of God, made in His image, expressing love and peace.

I thought of my neighbor, a friendly fellow, but an alcoholic whom I was inclined to condemn for his foolish ways. How self-righteous can you get? What about him? I realized that although I had no right to treat him through prayer without his permission, I could correct my erroneous concept of him and perhaps offer him a copy of Science and Health. Then there is that situation in church.

No, tomorrow doesn't have to creep at a "petty pace." I have vital work to do. During the day I can hold fast to what is true— not for the purpose of benefiting myself or making my own life more comfortable, but to help mankind. I can deny the false pictures of crime in the streets, starvation in many parts of the world, corruption in government, rampant sensuality. What's more, I can start right now.

As I closed my eyes I remembered a verse from Psalms: "Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart."^{Ps. 119:34
.}

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