Our great spiritual Teacher, Christ Jesus, gave us the keynote for true attraction when he said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." Through the spiritual understanding gained from the study of the Bible, in conjunction with the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, Christian Scientists may understand this to mean that as he, Jesus, lifted up the Christ, overcoming false beliefs in regard to man, all who were ready for the same blessing would be drawn to the truth. Christian Scientists also understand that each individual follower of Jesus may lift up the Christ or spiritual idea so that others will likewise see and come to the understanding and demonstration of Truth.

On page 22 of "Pulpit and Press" Mrs. Eddy wrote many years ago: "If the lives of Christian Scientists attest their fidelity to Truth, I predict that in the twentieth century every Christian church in our land, and a few in far-off lands, will approximate the understanding of Christian Science sufficiently to heal the sick in his name. Christ will give to Christianity his new name, and Christendom will be classified as Christian Scientists." What impetus, what longing to do his part faithfully in hastening the fulfillment of this prophecy, do these healing words inspire in the life of every Christian Scientist! What a debt of gratitude we owe our Leader for having lifted up the standard of Truth for us in this age! Where would we be to-day were it not for her toil and struggle to lift up the Christ by overcoming the false material belief of a selfhood apart from God?

Not long ago a beginner in the study of Christian Science was asked by a Christian Science practitioner how he became interested in Christian Science. His answer was: "My brother and his wife are fine Christian Scientists; every time they come to visit us we feel uplifted. They have something that seems to be lacking in our lives, and we wish to be Christian Scientists too." Here was true attraction; for without any special effort on the part of the two Christian Scientists, who were living what they had learned of Christian Science, two seekers were drawn to it. The earnestness and simplicity of the statement fell like a benediction from heaven, and immediately there was recalled a passage on pages 458 and 459 of our textbook, which Mrs. Eddy has written: "Christianity causes men to turn naturally from matter to Spirit, as the flower turns from darkness to light. Man then appropriates those things which 'eye hath not seen nor ear heard.'"

Surely we have Christian Science only as we live it. We have it only as we turn away from the dark shadows of mortal belief. It is false belief which hides from mankind the sunlight of joy and gladness, and deprives them of their true spiritual inheritance. If thoughts of selfishness, discontent, envy, or oversensitiveness are permitted to govern one's life, these dark shadows shut out the sunshine of joy, not only from us but from our friends as well. To use an apt phrase, we become "sunbeam proof," and cannot therefore expect to attract the stranger to the truth.

Every Christian Scientist is praying for the hastening of the day when the false sense of "heaven and earth shall pass away" from his life; for well he knows it is this false sense of heaven and earth which robs him of the joy of living, and shuts out the healing Christ. It is only through absolute knowledge of and consecration to God that we become channels for this Christ, and thus exemplify true attraction. It is only as we dwell in the Father's house (the Christ-consciousness) that our thought reaches out in love towards the poor and needy, that they too may be lifted up to behold "a new heaven and a new earth," wherein spirituality reigns supreme.

Although the words are, "If I be lifted up from the earth," we know that Christ Jesus did lift up the Christ, so that all seekers for spirituality could behold it. In overcoming sin, sickness, and death for others, and rising above the belief of death for himself, he became the Way-shower for all who would learn to demonstrate the truth. For centuries this way was lost sight of through ignorance and gross materialism; but in our day it has again been discovered and given to all mankind by our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, God's messenger to this age. Through her clear teaching and interpretation of the Bible, we are learning to follow our Master in deed and in truth.

The more earnestly we strive to understand and practice the teachings of Christian Science, the more we are lifting up the Christ, and thus attracting the true seekers for light. The more gratitude we express in thought and deed for our Leader, Mrs. Eddy, who went through the Red Sea of error and the wilderness of false beliefs in blazing the way for us, the sooner will our Red Sea and wilderness experience be ended. Was it not because of her marvelous patience and perseverance that we are now able to lift thought above the false beliefs of sin, sickness, lack, and other discordant conditions, into the consciousness of our God-given dominion and of our divine sonship? All are without excuse who fail to begin to demonstrate the way which God has appointed.

Every individual must wrestle with and overcome his false sense of self, with its sinful thoughts; every one must sooner or later lift up the Christ-idea. All must say, as did the prodigal son, "I will arise and go to my father." All must put off the false sense of man for the true sense; and Christian Science teaches that this is done through self-abnegation. Fortunate are those who have made this beginning. But every one must work out his own salvation. It does not matter how kind and loving, how patient and tender our helper may be, the time will surely come when each one must do his own overcoming. No one can possibly do our thinking and demonstrating for us.

When a belief of fear or loneliness or sickness or lack seems to predominate in our thought, we may reach out for help, and we shall always find those who are ready and willing to hold up our hands; but when we have solved this particular problem, it is our task to press on, and, learning from the experience, go forward in our understanding and demonstration of Truth and Love, until we can say with the Apostle Paul, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness."

In our warfare with carnal beliefs, we may be sure we are being watched by the world; and if, in the overcoming and being lifted up above these carnal beliefs, the struggle seems severe, we may feel sure that our burden will become lighter because we have taken a definite stand for Truth.

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven," Christ Jesus commanded; and in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 155) our dear Leader counsels: "Forget self in laboring for mankind; then will you woo the weary wanderer to your door, win the pilgrim and stranger to your church, and find access to the heart of humanity."