The Gospel of John relates that Jesus went up to Jerusalem at the time of the passover and that, seeing the outer court of the temple being used much as a common market for the sale of cattle and doves and the changing of money, he made a whip of cords and drove the merchants, oxen, and sheep out of the temple and overturned the tables of money. He said to the dove sellers (John 2:16), "Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise." And the account continues, "His disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up."

Zeal is defined in the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy (p. 599): "The reflected animation of Life, Truth, and Love. Blind enthusiasm; mortal will." Here are set forth the true, spiritual zeal as exemplified by Christ Jesus and the opposite mortal concept, the stimulus of will power. The alert Christian Scientist has no difficulty in differentiating between the two in daily experience. And blessed is the church whose membership includes many who in humility and understanding are zealous workers. Such workers never mark time, but quietly and fervently press forward, translating into human action the pure thoughts of God.

Since Jesus was our great Exemplar, did not his cleansing of the temple illustrate the necessity for each one of us to express the same zeal and cleanse his house or consciousness of all that defiles his worship of God, Spirit, and dims his vision of the Christ? Only through like vigorous activity are we enabled to drive out of our hearts the greed, lust, tyranny, envy, apathy, and pride which are the enemies of true zeal. If we are faithful to our vision of Truth, then indeed will our consciousness become a house of prayer in which we may entertain angels, or spiritual ideas and intuitions.

True zeal is naturally radiant and must be expressed in action; it heals, comforts, and regenerates both ourselves and others. Therefore should not we as church members watch against the subtle suggestion that because we have worked many years in church offices we can now afford to sit back and let the newcomers carry on? Surely that suggestion is from the carnal mind. We must never allow our spiritual eagerness to wane. Christ Jesus increased in good works right up to the ascension. Likewise our Leader never for a moment stepped to the side lines, but showed ever-increasing zeal, even toward the close of her earthly career establishing The Christian Science Monitor, one of the most far-reaching of her great accomplishments.

Perhaps the excuse for inaction is based, on pride, a belief that because we have filled a so-called important office we are exempt from the necessity of doing other lesser work. Not human prestige or past accomplishment, but what we are expressing of spirituality at this moment, day by day, is what primarily fits us for any office. If we are genuinely striving to enter into a fuller understanding of divine Science, we are not turned away by either pride or timidity from the duty and privilege of serving our Cause wherever and whenever opportunity occurs and Love points the way. Apathy, in any degree, is carnal-mindedness, which is death. Let us watch against drifting by slow degrees into indifference and deadness, and let us, rather, strive to increase the purity of our zeal.

True zeal, being spiritual, is the expression of uninterrupted inspiration. It is untiring. It has been tried in afflictions and has risen purer and more fervent in the Cause of Christ. It is clothed in childlikeness, purity, spontaneity, and humility. Hence the most zealous disciple, though daily in the forefront of the battle of Truth against error, is often to human sense working unacknowledged in the background, as was the case with our beloved Leader.

Who can continue to sleep or be apathetic when once he has heard the trumpet note of warning that Mrs. Eddy sounds for all those who have joined the ranks of Christian Science? She reminds us (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 177): "Never was there a more solemn and imperious call than God makes to us all, right here, for fervent devotion and an absolute consecration to the greatest and holiest of all causes. The hour is come. The great battle of Armageddon is upon us. The powers of evil are leagued together in secret conspiracy against the Lord and against His Christ, as expressed and operative in Christian Science." And she pointedly asks: "What will you do about it? Will you be equally in earnest for the truth? Will you doff your lavender-kid zeal, and become real and consecrated warriors? Will you give yourselves wholly and irrevocably to the great work of establishing the truth, the gospel, and the Science which are necessary to the salvation of the world from error, sin, disease, and death? Answer at once and practically, and answer aright!"

The evils arising from what Mrs. Eddy designates "blind enthusiasm; mortal will." and "lavender-kid zeal," are such that they would, if we are not watchful, usurp the place of divine Mind as the impelling power in our lives. Thus we may not lie aware that we are endeavoring to use our understanding of God and man merely to fulfill the dictates of self-will. In such a case we are obviously employing a so-called intellectual grasp of the letter of Science, without its spirit, and our efforts can but fail. Christian Science and so-called mental science, or the action of the supposititious human mind, are poles apart. To express true zeal a Christian Scientist must in deep and prayerful humility live hourly so close to God, Spirit, that his thought is tending ever upward.

Repeatedly one must choose his course. On one side is the broad path of expediency, with human will at the controls. This way leads but deeper into error. On the other is the rugged and narrow road, leading ever upward. This road is traveled only as we drop mortal selfhood, with its mesmeric temptations, and rejoicingly obey the omnipotent One, who is infinite wisdom and Love. Mrs. Eddy says significantly in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" (p. 259), "Do not forget that an honest, wise zeal, a lowly, triumphant trust, a true heart, and a helping hand constitute man, and nothing less is man or woman."