Impartial Love

Annie M. Knott

On page 13 of Science and Health Mrs. Eddy says, "Love is impartial and universal in its adaptation and bestowals," a statement which accords with St. Peter's declaration, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." The apostle's words nevertheless show that while God is impartial, a distinction is made between those who do that which is right and those who do wrong, a discrimination which is maintained by other Scriptural writers who declare for the divine impartiality.

In spite of the unequivocal declarations found in the Scriptures, there are some who are confused as to the issues involved, and the old belief in predestination seems to hold sway to the extent that material evidence is accepted where one person is apparently protected by divine power and another seems to be cut off from this aid. Even the outpourings of thankfulness on the part of those who have been healed in Christian Science or preserved in time of danger, are sometimes misconstrued, as implying that these persons were special recipients of divine favor, but this is a most incorrect assumption. It goes without saying that the one who consistently follows his highest sense of right is under its protection to the extent of his recognition of divine law. The question is not, however, a negative one; it is positive in its demand that all power be ascribed to God, good, and this of course implies a denial of any power in evil.

The ninety-first psalm illustrates in a remarkable way the Christian Science teaching as to divine protection, and the strange thing is that Christendom should so long have missed its wonderful lessons. Great is our joy, however, in this harvest hour that the veil of material sense has been lifted through Mrs. Eddy's inspired teachings, and that not a word of truth is found wanting. This psalm not only offers complete deliverance from evil but makes known the conditions under which perfect security may be realized. It is "because" one makes God his refuge that the promise is given, "There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling." Neither pestilence nor destruction shall harm the one who abides "under the shadow of the Almighty," even though ten thousand others fall at his side; but this protection no more indicates the bestowal of special favor than does the fact that one who knows how to swim is preserved where one without this knowledge is not.

Let no one, however, think that we are ever independent of the divine Mind in whom we "live, and move, and have our being." Fear may at any moment assail the one who does not at all times make God his refuge, and whether on land or sea he needs to know, as we are told on page 306 of Science and Health, that "man cannot be separated for an instant from God, if man reflects God." Paul assures us that neither height nor depth, nor things present, nor things to come "shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." We must, however, preserve intact the consciousness of man's spiritual likeness to God, as did our Master, and rise above the clogging belief in materiality which is responsible for all the harm that could ever come to us.

Too long have mortals turned away from the divine protection so freely offered to all who will avail themselves of it. They have bowed before the unreal things of mortal sense, and in thought if not in word have even accused God of partiality when others seemed more favored than themselves. Balaam was blind to the presence of the angel that had come to warn him of the danger of wrong-doing, but the creature on which he rode was in this respect wiser than he. The psalmist says, "He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways;" but to recognize these divine thoughts, and so be delivered, we must set our whole heart upon the reflection of Love, and then we need fear no foe, for we shall have the "long life" that satisfies, and the answer to every prayer inspired by Love.

Annie M. Knott.

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