IN THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE BIBLE LESSON August 18, 2008 Issue

ADOPTING THE CHRIST ATTITUDE

BENJAMIN GLADDEN

FOR ME, this week's Bible Lesson on "Mind" speaks to the essence of living a Christian life, as this verse from Section VI suggests: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 2:5, citation 19). When I looked it up in the New Living Translation, I found this: "You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had."

What attitude did Christ Jesus have? Some might cite his kind and loving attitude. But what really stands out to me was his ability to heal and relieve others' suffering. Jesus commanded his followers to do the same, so I've been asking myself: How can I adopt this Christly attitude and live it daily?

When Jesus was asked what the most important commandment was, he responded: "The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt 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" (Mark 12:29, 30, Sect. I, cit. 3). Mary Baker Eddy further explained, "You will learn that in Christian Science the first duty is to obey God, to have one Mind, and to love another as yourself" (Science and Health, p. 496, cit. 4).