There Is No Reality in War
Often we hear it asked, "How should I think about war between nations?" If one has seen something of Truth as revealed by Christian Science, he knows that the way to think about such warfare is to realize that in God's universe there is no such thing as war.
In human experience war may seem to be very real. But war is only a belief of the human mind and no part of real being. Consequently, we should not admit that war can of itself establish justice. Such an admission would make human strife a necessity for the establishment of God's kingdom on earth. That kingdom is established eternally in Mind, and the warfare most needed is that in one's own human consciousness against the false beliefs which would cloud one's realization of God's allness and omnipotence.
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There can be no reality in war, because Love is ever present; and there is no hate or prejudice in Love. Life is ever active, and there is no death; Spirit is the only real substance, and there is no matter. There is in reality nothing material to war about, and no material man to kill or to be killed. Furthermore, there can be actually no war because there is but one man—God's man, who is conscious of safety, harmony, peace, and other qualities of universal divine Love. There is no place where these qualities and all the ideas of God are not true and active. The spiritual universe is God's reflection. Consequently, there is no place where inharmony can exist, and no circumstance that can separate man from the consciousness of peace.
The absolute truth that there is no war is a most practical thing to understand in order to help mankind now faced with the problems of war. This truth is the law of God, which when realized operates as a protection from all harmful results. Founded on the fact of the infinite power of good, it operates as a law of wise guidance to every right endeavor and as a law of nullification and frustration to all attempts of evil. It is operating now as a law of healing to the false beliefs that claim to make for war, and as a law of elimination of all that is unjust in human situations. The realization that there is no war results from the realization that evil is not real, and that there is only one power, one presence, and one government—that of the all-loving Father-Mother, Mind.
On page 421 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mary Baker Eddy writes: "Insist vehemently on the great fact which covers the whole ground, that God, Spirit, is all, and that there is none beside Him. There is no disease." There can be no claim of disease worse than war. Let us insist, therefore, that there is, in reality, no war. At times it may seem difficult to realize the truth, but it is always possible to do so. Personal sense would claim that there are times and circumstances when it is not right to be joyous, free, and happy. Innocent people and those near and dear may seem to be in want or danger because of war; but let them not be dismayed. Joy, freedom, and happiness are attributes of God and are always right. In our thinking let us take the innocent and loved ones out of the belief of want and danger, and realize that they are actually in the presence and care of infinite Love. There is never a situation that justifies an acceptance of error as real. Always and eternally good is the only power.
The realization that there is no war applies to every individual, wherever he may be. It accompanies the consciousness that there is no sick man to be healed and no sickness to heal. Only God's thoughts are present. Inharmony is always an illusion. The thoughts of God dispel the illusion and reveal man as untouched by error.
In Isaiah it is written, "And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." For those to whom the kingdom of heaven has been revealed the day of universal peace is here, now. It is the result of the revealed truth that Spirit is All, and that matter and evil are nought. We help our brother man by understanding the divine facts. In the Manual of The Mother Church Mrs. Eddy states (Art. VIII, Sect. 6), "It shall be the duty of every member of this Church to defend himself daily against aggressive mental suggestion, and not be made to forget nor to neglect his duty to God, to his Leader, and to mankind." We now have a wonderful opportunity to fulfill this duty by maintaining the calm consciousness that there is in reality no war.
God's entire universe expresses peace. Peace is therefore a divine fact, which never has been invaded. Consequently, we do not pray for future peace, but to know that peace is now present. Neither do we fear a false or convenient peace. The realization of the omnipresence of peace operates as a law of unfoldment of a just and true sense of human peace.
We need to remember that there is one Father-Mother God, who gives good to all. Knowing that there is no war in real being enables us to do our part in healing the world's hates and fears, and gives us a better realization of the kingdom of heaven here and now.
