Patience and Self-Possession

William P. McKenzie

Paul in writing to the Thessalonians says, "The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ," but the marginal note explains the better translation as being, "The Lord direct your hearts ... into the patience of Christ." The word used here and translated patience, examined in its original form reveals the added meaning of continuance, endurance, and steadfastness. It is used, for example, in the parable of the sower, in which Jesus spoke of the good seed that sprang up and bore a crop; for when the disciples wanted the story explained he told them that this seed in the good soil, referred to those who having heard the word hold it fast in a good and true heart and so bear fruit with patience; that is, with steadfastness. Again, when warning his disciples of inevitable persecution even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends he said: "Ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls." It is the same word implying continuance that is here used; so a scholar offers the translation for the final verse of the quotation, "Hold out steadfast and you win your souls."

Lowell in his poem entitled "The Present Crisis" has stated in modern garb this age-old truth:—

Count me o'er earth's chosen heroes,—they were souls that stood alone,
While the men they agonized for hurled the contumelious stone,
Stood serene, and down the future saw the golden beam incline
To the side of perfect justice, mastered by their faith divine,
By one man's plain truth to manhood and to God's supreme design.

When Jesus asked the searching question as to what it would profit a man to gain the whole world and yet lose his own soul, in this case he asked for steadfastness; for it is through losing his world,—that is, the ease in sense of agreement with idolatry and compliance with the popular dogmas,—that a man in the struggle, by his very endurance of the persecution and his steadfastness under it wins understanding. He loses the limiting sense of soul in body and separateness from good, in order to find and yield to the peaceful, all-embracing, beneficent government of Soul. It is according to this method of growth that Christian Science is demonstrated, and Mrs. Eddy says (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 338), "Faith illumined by works; the spiritual understanding which cannot choose but to labor and love; hope holding steadfastly to good in the midst of seething evil; charity that suffereth long and is kind, but cancels not sin until it be destroyed,—these afford the only rule I have found which demonstrates Christian Science."

The actions and desires of men classify them. We have politicians and ecclesiasts, for example, one seeking advantage for his party, the other seeking to build up his church. If the politician thinks of another man's effort as being detrimental to his plans, he sets out to "get" him; that is, to ruin him financially. If the ecclesiast thinks of a church member as holding himself too free of sectarian beliefs, he tries to impress judgment upon him as a heretic and so arouse religious hatred. Thus it is that the honest man in political life, also the scrupulous thinker in church life, quite often must stand alone, being to the appearance of things "hated of all men." Let every man in any such era of trial see that he is holding to the intermediate ground of righteousness and sincerity; if he is persecuted let him make it true that it is for Christ's sake. Let him be steadfast in his faith and patience, and eventually all the false witnesses will be brought to naught, and all the hatred will die out, and all the love that he has earned will enrich him. Mrs. Eddy says (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 277), "The archers aim at Truth's mouthpiece; but a heart loyal to God is patient and strong. Justice waits, and is used to waiting; and right wins the everlasting victory."

In every community there is some one with spiritual vision who has learned that good comes to men through healing, but he knows that no good results ever came by hatred. His patience is because of his trust in prayer, and his self-possession is because of his faith in the power of good. While the excited crowd may be saying, "Let us do evil, that good may come," he is bearing witness to the opposite truth, saying, "Overcome evil with good." While plans are being made for the bringing up of heavy guns and explosives to smash some adamantine error, he is reminding himself and others that in metaphysics divine Love is the only power effective for dissolving error, establishing deliverance, and bringing salvation. He does right in reminding others of this though they be hostile. Love within must be great enough to disregard unkindness and persecution without, and it is inevitable that in the end error will come to naught.

The promise which used to be interpreted doctrinally, whereby men were assured that if they held on to some dogma until death, at that point they would find salvation, offers a clearer teaching when we look at it in the light of Christian Science. When it is stated, "He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved," the context shows that salvation actually accompanies the steadfastness which patiently continues until error's brief reign is over. Though there be days of desolation the Master's promise is, "For the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." Almost before one knows it relief and joy come, "because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth." It should not, therefore, be difficult at all times to maintain steadfastness and to accept such admonition as is given by Mrs. Eddy in "Retrospection and Introspection" (p. 79): "Be temperate in thought, word, and deed. Meekness and temperance are the jewels of Love, set in wisdom. Restrain untempered zeal. 'Learn to labor and to wait.' Of old the children of Israel were saved by patient waiting."

William P. McKenzie.

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