Article July 16, 2012 Issue

Basic training

A military man offers perspective on keeping thoughts in line.

Michael Day

I was recently reminded of the time I spent in military service. During basic training we learned the fundamentals of being a soldier; one of them was being on “guard duty” or “walking your post.”

Mary Baker Eddy wrote: “Stand porter at the door of thought. Admitting only such conclusions as you wish realized in bodily results, you will control yourself harmoniously” (Science and Health, p. 392).

And in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us, “Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison” (Matthew 5:25).