Article November 30, 1987 Issue

Welcome the Xanthippes

The discipline of Christian discipleship is love—a love that flourishes in the face of challenge.

Barbara Cook

Socrates apparently believed that patience was true wisdom in times of marital annoyance, and he had an opportunity to practice what he preached. He had a rather challenging wife—Xanthippe by name. Discussing some lessons to be learned from their experience, Mrs. Eddy writes in the chapter "Marriage" in Science and Health that Socrates made "his Xantippe a discipline for his philosophy."^{Science and Health, p. 66.}

It would be natural to assume that anyone genuinely serious about an honest pursuit for the benefit of mankind would be willing to have an adequate number of Xanthippe experiences, so to speak—as "discipline for his philosophy." Talents, ideas, serious pursuits—commitments of any sort—require opportunities and tests that strengthen and prove them.

This is certainly true of the ultimate commitment for a follower of Christ Jesus—the commitment to Christian love, the love that Paul says "is the fulfilling of the law,"^{Rom. 13:10.} the charity that "never faileth."^{I Cor. 13:8.} It would be difficult to be only halfheartedly dedicated to something defined as unfailing—to a love that is totally unchanging, the emanation of God, divine Principle. Christian love is the highest human expression of the divine Principle, Love. It is the individual's living of the Christ, the unmovable yet gentle light of Life, God, absolute good.