"God is Love"

BY DAVIS A. WOODWARD.

St. John is spoken of as one "whom Jesus loved," and as Christian Science is unfolded to us, we can more clearly understand the height of thought he had attained, to have realized what is meant by the statement "God is Love."

There can be no thought of material love in it. As matter is annihilated by Science, the only possible comparison is in the mother love which seems to grow stronger as sorrow and pain are forced upon it, and which will go to any extremity for its object. This but faintly shadows forth God's love.

In Genesis we read, "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: ... So God created man in his own image." Can we not catch a glimpse of what a full realization of this would bring to us? Love as Father-Mother God, why should we find it hard to live a full reflection of Love?

"God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." By this are we able to mark our progress, "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" Are we always striving to attain the height wherein we can say, I love my brother (all mankind); have no harsh word or criticism for any one? Then, and only then, are we able to prove to ourselves and to the world by signs following, that we love God. The two, love of God and love of man, go together. They cannot be separated.

We must not think that our brothers are only such as embrace Christian Science, or the many or few personal friends we have about us. We must know who God's children are, and that God is the only Creator. We shall then see that "brother" includes all, even those who may seem unfriendly and oppose us.

Jesus said, "For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? ... Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." "God is no respecter of persons," and we are not becoming perfect, when our thought runs in other channels and we fail to show forth the works which prove our love for God and man.

We do not overcome adverse circumstances by bewailing the conditions surrounding us, nor by wishing we had easier tasks to perform, but by going to work just where we are, looking steadfastly toward the light, and earnestly striving to do a little better to-day than we did yesterday. Our beloved Leader tells us (Science and Health, p. 426), "The discoverer of Christian Science finds the path less wearisome when she has the high goal always before her thoughts, than when she only counts her bleeding footsteps in reaching that goal. If the destination is desirable, the vision speeds our footsteps."

Work we must, and it is only when actuated by divine Love that we can drink the cup and share the baptism of Jesus. Doing the works that he did, following him as did Paul and the apostles, and as Mrs. Eddy is doing to-day in laying down all sense of self, with our window (consciousness) open toward the New Jerusalem, we must, as did Daniel, pray and give thanks before our God, asking for wisdom rather than worldly riches. Guarding our thoughts we shall think, and therefore do, only good to our brother. Then Good—God—will come to us, and bring to our understanding the significance of "God is Love."

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