Editorial May 19, 1923 Issue

"Blessed are the poor in spirit"

Duncan Sinclair

The first of the Beatitudes uttered by Christ Jesus, and preserved to us in the wonderful fifth chapter of Matthew, is very far-reaching in its scope: "Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." In some respects it would almost seem to include all the other Beatitudes; for is not the kingdom of heaven that which the pure in heart, the mourner, the persecuted, the meek, all alike seek to enter, for comfort, and peace, and dominion? Moreover, the first beatitude states the primary essential to spiritual progress along every line,—humility: it is "the poor in spirit" alone who can understand spiritual truth, and thereby enter the kingdom of heaven.

Now, it were well to be certain as to what constitutes the kingdom of heaven. The belief that heaven is a locality, situated somewhere in space, has been completely destroyed by the teachings of Christian Science. God is known, through Christian Science, to be infinite Mind, or Spirit, and therefore to be omnipresent. And as heaven is where God is, heaven must therefore be omnipresent. Thus, heaven is a perfect spiritual condition, or state, where the belief of matter or evil is unknown. On page 587 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mrs. Eddy defines it as follows: "Heaven. Harmony; the reign of Spirit; government by divine Principle; spirituality; bliss; the atmosphere of Soul." It is apparent from this definition that there is nothing imperfect in heaven, since it is the condition of perfect consciousness, where Spirit reigns supreme, where God, divine Principle, governs; and in it there is manifest only bliss and harmony. No trace is to be found there of any material thought; no false belief of sorrow, suffering, or sin finds a place in the kingdom of heaven. This Christian Science concept of heaven is in entire agreement with Paul's description of it to the Romans: "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."

But, some one perhaps may say, how can this be; how can this perfect kingdom of heaven be omnipresent when evil seems so apparent? That is a pertinent question; and Christian Science answers it without hesitation. Christian Science declares that since God is infinite good, evil (so called) has not the faintest trace of reality about it. Evil is a false belief of the so-called human mind. Every phase of the belief of evil is unreal, be it sin, suffering, sorrow, disease, or death. God never made evil; God knows not of evil; therefore evil has only a fabulous existence. But it is only as we are "poor in spirit" that we can understand and demonstrate the truth as Christian Science has revealed it.

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