Righteous Judgment

Editor

When friction occurs between two persons what is the first thought as to who is to blame for it? Are we amiss in saying that in ninety cases out of a hundred each thinks the blame rests wholly with the other? Are we amiss in saying that in almost the same ratio this is not only the first thought, but the last as well?

To the thinking person this is a startling fact. It is a fact that has cursed the ages. By reason of this fact nations have gone to war and brought upon themselves and inflicted upon each other the indescribable horrors, the dreadful slaughter, the awful carnage, the waste of treasure, and the long trains of sorrow, suffering, and woes that fill the volumes of the world's history; and the world's history is little more than a record of war and bloodshed.

Each nation thought it was right, and this, of course, placed the other in the attitude of being wrong.

What cycles of misery would the human race have been spared had each nation but conceded that there was right and wrong on both sides, and that there was a fair chance to give and take! Had the quality of self-delusion here considered been understood for what it really was, long ages ago the principle of arbitration of national disputes could have been successfully applied; and, as a result, long ages ago wars would have ceased.

Take the South African war as an illustration. The powers controlling in England are certain that England has the right on her side; this being so, to England's view, the South African Republics are all wrong. Therefore England sees no compromise ground and nothing to do but to fight it out.

On the other hand, the authorities of the South African Republics are equally certain that they are right and England wrong. Therefore they can consistently make no concessions and they have no recourse but to fight it out. Hence the terrible carnage, with its long trail of direful effects, goes on, and thousands of lives are being sacrificed and scores of hearts made to bleed, all because each contending party believes it impossible that there is a measure of right and wrong on both sides. What will the end be? A compromise, in spite of everything. It is inevitable. Even though one side may be victorious, there will have to be concessions; and these concessions could have been arrived at peaceably years ago, had it not been for that quality of mortal mind which sees itself to be all right and everything that seems to differ from it to be all wrong.

Nowhere, however, has this mental condition so conspicuously manifested itself as in the religious arena. Here it has found its fullest vent, and with what awful consequences it is not necessary here to recount. History tells us in pages of sombre hue.

Religious intolerance and sectarian bitterness is the legitimate child of the "I am right and you are wrong' element of the human mind. Every phase of self-righteousness has its root here. Every condition of unjust judging springs from this source. Neighbor quarrels with neighbor, friend with friend, brother with brother, parent with child, and child with parent, husband with wife, and sister with sister—all because of this mental quality.

How is it with Christian Scientists? Have we become so far awakened to this mental idiosyncrasy that we are able to act independently of it? Are we so alert to this peculiarity of the human or mortal mind that we can so act as to be sure we only are right and the neighbor or fellow-worker, who may not be able to see in all respects as we see, is wholly wrong? Is there no chance for us to give and take? Is there no happy mean for us? Can we find no compromise ground? We surely can, and we shall.

There is no power, or claim to power, that can say us nay. We know that we are not the servants of evil and cannot be made such. We know that we are under the dominion of Good only. If we will have in us only the Christ Mind, no plague can come nigh our dwelling, and we can be and remain in the secret place of the most High and most Nigh God. Thus defended we are safe from (the belief) of foes within and without.

We must reach this standard ourselves ere we are competent to "judge" our neighbor; for until we do, the blinding beam of self-rightness is yet in our own eye, and we cannot see our brother with single-eyed rightness.

May God help us to judge righteous judgment in the name of the risen Christ.

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