Article April 6, 2020 Issue

To be Christian, love all mankind

Jane Hickson

What does it mean to be a Christian? St. Paul provides some guidance when he says, “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord” (II Corinthians 6:17). But rather than suggesting that God wants Christians to see themselves as above, different from, or better than others, he seems to be encouraging them to separate themselves from limited, materialistic thinking—to see themselves as never touched or motivated by anything ungodlike, but motivated only by God, divine Love. Based on Christ Jesus’ teachings, Paul shows that this loving, spiritual way of thinking heals individuals, and that nothing less can be accepted as Christian.

This idea has been important for me as a Christian Scientist. I have recently been giving more thought to this part of the “Daily Prayer” from the Manual of The Mother Church by Mary Baker Eddy: “... may Thy Word enrich the affections of all mankind, and govern them!” (p. 41). Emphasizing these words helps me acknowledge the presence and activity of the Word—the activity of God—in all mankind and not just in one particular religious group. When we acknowledge God as integral to everyone’s experience, we are able to inspire, and bring healing to, all humanity.

Once, I was overwhelmed by the thought that something was wrong with a plane I was boarding. Having flown many times before but having never had a thought like this, I prayed about what to do. As I did, I was filled with gratitude to God for His creation, for making man in His image and likeness and putting His law of wisdom and brotherly love within us. As the book of Jeremiah says, “I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people” (31:33).

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