Death Destroyed

ELSA CROSS

In his first epistle to the Corinthians the apostle declares that "the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." Our beloved Leader writes in Science and Health, "Sin brought death, and death will disappear with the disappearance of sin." Again, in the same chapter, she says, "It is a sin to believe that aught can overpower omnipotent and eternal Life, and this Life must be brought to light by the understanding that there is no death, as well as by other graces of Spirit" (pp. 426, 428).

We need to see to it that we do not underestimate the importance of these teachings, or allow them to become inoperative in our consciousness through lack of sufficient practice. We cannot afford to deal lightly with the thoughts of death which are aggressively suggested to us in one form or another every day. We should meet and dispose of them with Christian Science, otherwise we are liable to reap the results of entertaining wrong conceptions of life eternal.

The days are not far past when such inventions as the automobile, the aeroplane, the wireless telegraph and telephone, were declared to be impossible and ridiculous daydreams, and this by members of the community who were looked up to as intelligent citizens. Nevertheless, thanks to the patient, persevering work of inventors, we are today realizing the value and usefulness of these same things. The genuine Christian Scientist stands in much the same position as these pioneers of invention; he has undertaken to demonstrate the healing power of divine Truth in every department of human life, and he must prove this in the face of every error,—sin, disease, and death.

The first two of this triad of evils—namely, sin and disease—are being effectually overcome by the power of Truth, and the Christian Scientist needs to shake off the inertia which would mesmerize him into evading the necessity for destroying his belief in death, in every thought, word, and deed where his assent to its possibility, actuality, or necessity is being demanded by mortal mind. He needs to know constantly, and to respond with the actual, indisputable fact that because God is the only presence and power, any lie which would assert the opposite of Truth is instantaneously self-destroyed when it is uncovered.

Such gross error as looking forward to a time of helplessness and death is a sin from which we should daily defend ourselves by the understanding that our glorious birthright as sons and daughters of divine Love is the authority, dominion, and power whereby we are daily to overcome in ourselves and in others the evil beliefs of death, disease, and sin in all of the myriad forms of sensuous appeal. Our Leader says, "The history of error or matter, if veritable, would set aside the omnipotence of Spirit; but it is the false history in contradistinction to the true" (Science and Health, p. 521). Knowing this, let us labor continually to deny and overcome all the claims of evil, whenever and however they may be presented, and so establish the kingdom of Life, Truth, and Love in the world.

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