"Faith and unfaith"

Annie M. Knott

A well-known poet says that "faith and unfaith can ne'er be equal powers," a sentiment with which most thinkers would agree; and yet, sad to say, there is much more unfaith in human experience than faith. What is perhaps even worse, there is a great deal of misplaced faith, that which goes out to an unworthy object. Though this kind of faith may for a time seem to act as a motive power in personal endeavor, it must fail sooner or later, because its supposititious object has no real existence. Knowing the falsity of all belief which rests upon material objects or the carnal mind, Christ Jesus said to his disciples, with the sublime confidence of spiritual understanding, "Have faith in God." On page 430 of Science and Health Mrs. Eddy says, "Faith should enlarge its borders and strengthen its base by resting upon Spirit instead of matter."

It is simply astonishing to see how professed Christians excuse themselves for want of faith; indeed they sometimes seem to regard this mental state as commendable rather than otherwise. This is because they confuse faith with mere credulity, which have in fact no relation to each other. Credulity is always an outgrowth of material sense and never rises above mortality, whereas faith of the kind that Christ Jesus taught and demonstrated reaches out toward the things of God, to spiritual reality. Now it is true that one's faith may seem faint and feeble, but if it lays hold upon the divine it will grow into greatness and power as a well-nourished child. More than once the Master said, "O ye of little faith;" but even this little was better than none, and it is deeply touching to read the Master's words to Peter before the testing time of his trial and crucifixion. Jesus said to him, "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not." It sometimes happens that this is the best service which a Christian Science worker can render to the one who seeks his aid, for in Revelation we read that those who come unharmed through fiery trials are they who "keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus."

The writer of the epistle to the Hebrews tells us in the eleventh chapter, which has been called "the great epic of faith," that "without faith it is impossible to please" God, not merely difficult, but impossible; so we are here surely dealing with the most vital question of human experience. Optimists tell us that we should have faith in ourselves and in our fellow men, but it always happens that when we let material sense have the ascendency we disappoint ourselves, and we need not be surprised if others disappoint us for the same reason. The Master's faith did not rest upon mortal man, for he told his disciples that one of them would betray him, another deny him, and all of them forsake him. Yet in spite of this Jesus' faith in God and in the power of divine Truth remained unshaken, for he declared that although heaven and earth should pass away, his words, the words of Truth, should never pass away.

It is too often forgotten that faith can never find a secure resting-place in materiality, nor be strengthened by material evidence. If one rejoices overmuch in the evidence of physical improvement, he is apt to miss the real healing of Christian Science, the mental awakening and the spiritual uplift, and the glimpse of faith will not unfold, as it should, into spiritual understanding and strength. Our revered Leader tells us (Science and Health, p. 429) that "we must have faith in all the sayings of our Master," and Christian Scientists are striving to do this through the understanding gained in Christian Science and their daily and hourly demonstrations of the truth.

On the human plane the farmer who drops seed into the soil has faith that it will germinate and grow if rain and sunshine are not withheld. The Christian Scientist goes farther than this in looking to divine Principle and the spiritual law of growth for the protection of all that expresses God, good; and his assurance increases as he looks away from the material to the spiritual, praying ever, as did Jesus' disciples, for an increase of that faith which is allied to divine power.

Annie M. Knott.

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