A Man I know never lets a day go by without expressing kindness to at least one person. Once when he telephoned to thank me for something I had done, I protested that he shouldn't have gone to the trouble to call. "Oh, but we have to do these things!" he added quickly.

Many people might agree with my friend. They might feel that while there are things we can put off doing till another day, being loving to our fellowman should not be one of them.

Leading unselfish and compassionate lives is vastly more than a nice idea, however. It is what God impels, as His Son, our Way-shower, makes abundantly clear in his teachings. For instance, the thirteenth chapter of John contains these words of Christ Jesus: "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." And in the very next sentence in this same chapter of the New Testament, the Master points out the way by which the world will be able to tell that we are Christians: "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." ^{John 13:34, 35.}

Also, Christly loving of our fellow beings is the basis for spiritual healing, as the life of Christ Jesus demonstrated. His healings exemplified the nature of God as tender, understanding Love, who knows what we have need of before we ask Him. Christ-healing is based on this knowledge of God and man, and faith in and understanding of divine Love constitute the healing power of all prayer in Christian Science.

I once learned just how potent and healing Christly loving can be. Several years ago I went through a difficult time with a throat condition that caused sudden outbreaks of uncontrollable coughing. I was feeling physically weak and frustrated.

I was a student of Christian Science, and I had been praying about this difficulty earnestly. Mrs. Eddy writes, "The Christlike understanding of scientific being and divine healing includes a perfect Principle and idea,—perfect God and perfect man,—as the basis of thought and demonstration." ^{Science and Health, p. 259.} I had been praying to see myself in accord with this statement and endeavoring to turn away from the human discord to the perfect idea. But no relief was in sight. I was getting discouraged.

One night, after unusually severe coughing, I reached out to God to show me what more I needed to know, or do, to be free. Quietly the answer came. There was someone—a former coworker I hadn't thought of for a long time—whom I needed not only to forgive but feel love for as well. It seemed clear to me that spiritual progress was demanding that the unkind feelings lodged in thought be removed. I saw that the healing was beginning to take place with my willingness to allow divine Love to uplift thought and purify it.

I really prayed to be able to look beyond the false appearance of man as a mortal, expressing selfishness, jealousy, injustice. As I began to see the other person as God's spiritual child too, the trouble with my throat went away. In a very short time I was well. I was extremely relieved and grateful to be rid of the physical discomfort, of course. But the best part of this healing to me was the increase in warmth and compassion for others that followed the spiritually illumined praying I had been compelled to do.

While there are probably many reasons why people are sometimes less loving than they would like to be, one thing is certain: none of us has to put up with living such a half-life, depriving those around us and ourselves of the deep joy and satisfaction that come from being warm and caring.

We all can express more Christly affection. The study and practice of Christian Science bring increased spiritual insights that lead to an increase in spiritual love. Science shows that as God's expression, His image and likeness, we have the ability to love; it is natural to each one of us. Understanding this encourages us to see our fellow beings as they truly are—as God's man, the perfect, sinless, pure, loving reflection of God, divine Mind. This is the real spiritual identity of each one of us. And no matter how ungodlike someone may seem to be, we can know that right there is God's perfect, spiritual child.

This recognition enables us to feel more healing compassion toward others. Why? Because in the consciousness where Christly love predominates, the divine is embracing the human. And this actually causes our hearts to change in a wonderful, tangible way. As we make earnest and consistent efforts to "put off the old man" ^{See Col. 3:9.} (to use St. Paul's phrase), we find ourselves, to our joy and delight, feeling something of the warmth and tenderness that animated Jesus. We feel the restorative, healing Christ surrounding us and those we deal with. This helps us see through limiting, spiritually unenlightened views of ourselves and others that would keep kind words unspoken and loving deeds undone.

No doubt many of us may feel at times that there is something a little weak about being warm and loving—something that strong, self-reliant people just don't do. But think about Jesus. Where have we ever had an example of a more courageous yet tenderhearted person? Having a heart that overflowed with compassion didn't interfere with his moral courage or healing power or dynamic spirituality one bit.

To be caring and compassionate toward others can demand great spiritual stamina at times. Even if we have to pace the floors in prayer in order to conform to what the Master requires of us, through the power of Christ we can gain forgiveness and healing love.

Mrs. Eddy points out in Miscellaneous Writings, "A little more grace, a motive made pure, a few truths tenderly told, a heart softened, a character subdued, a life consecrated, would restore the right action of the mental mechanism, and make manifest the movement of body and soul in accord with God." ^{Mis., p. 354.} To help ensure that we do not deprive ourselves and those around us of the Christly healing compassion we all so much need, we might well ask ourselves every day, "How much of God's love is reaching others through me?"

The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shah love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Mark 12:29–31