Cleansing and Purifying Thought

ELIZABETH G. MC KINSTRY

DOUBTLESS every individual has at times an instinctive desire to freshen his surroundings, and to take inventory of materials on hand in order that he may discard the useless and replenish the useful. As students of Christian Science we come to see how essential it is to our well-being that we carry similar action into the mental realm.

It is helpful to recall many instances throughout the Bible in which cleansing, washing, or purifying—symbolizing mental purification—is set forth as a necessary procedure in the accomplishment of healings of various kinds. When Naaman, the captain of the host of the king of Syria, sought healing, we are told that Elisha sent a messenger to him saying, "Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean." When Jesus healed the man who had been born blind, he commanded him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam." And, again, when a leper followed him and besought him for healing, Jesus' tender and compassionate response was, "I will; be thou clean." How often, like Naaman of old, do we expect to be called to do some great thing in order to realize a much desired healing, when simply purifying thought, casting out unreal beliefs, is the essential thing! We find also in the incidents mentioned that obedience to both the spirit and the letter of the commands resulted in instantaneous healings.

Once when a student of Christian Science began to freshen up her surroundings and to take inventory of the materials on hand, a very helpful lesson was learned from an old inkwell which, because of its condition, had been relegated to a dark corner of her desk. As it was brought out, the first impulse was to throw it away, since it was not being used; but the wasteful thought was replaced with the better desire to clean the inkwell and allow it to serve its intended purpose. It was incrusted with ink both inside and out, and looked difficult to clean; but as it was placed under a stream of clear warm water, the incrustations began to break away, and the water, which at first had appeared inky black, began to clear, and soon the inkwell shone forth in crystal clearness! It was then refilled and placed on the desk to serve a useful purpose.

During this process of cleansing, the student was reminded of Mrs. Eddy's statement on page 201 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures": "The way to extract error from mortal mind is to pour in truth through floodtides of Love. Christian perfection is won on no other basis." How similar this is to our own experiences as we begin the process of cleansing and purifying thought through the daily study of the teachings of Christian Science and their application in our individual lives! Mortal mind, so called, which claims to be the only mind, would have our thoughts beclouded and incrusted with the darkest beliefs of mortality. But through the operation and activity of Christian Science in human consciousness, thought is liberated; and in the place of fears, doubts, and distrusts, we find that we have gained an entirely new sense of security, confidence, and love, for we are beginning to recognize and to claim our divine inheritance as children of God.

In order to express more of the spontaneity, activity, and light of the divine Mind, we to-day, as active students of Christian Science, need to keep our thoughts clear by turning upon them the "flood-tides of Love," which leave no obstructions, nothing that can defile or deface the purity of true thought, speech, or action. Criticism, resentment, envy, lack of love, self in its various guises,—self-will, self-love, self-pity, self-righteousness,—all must eventually yield to the healing influence of divine Love. The source of this healing stream of true ideas is God, divine Mind, and the channels through which it comes to mankind in this age are those provided by our beloved Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, in her writings and her church organization, which are the result of her life-work and her love for humanity.

If some cherished hope is unfulfilled, if some healing seems long delayed, if we do not seem to be unfolding and progressing in our understanding as we should like to do, let us look within the dark corners of thought, for it is undoubtedly our own mental state that needs purification, cleansing through the "flood-tides of Love." James writes: "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded." Is it not this belief of a mind apart from God, good, that causes all our troubles? Is it not the incrustation of mortal thought that would hide from us our real spiritual selfhood? As we put forth the daily effort to cleanse our thought from all that is unlike good, we are certainly making room for more of the Christ, since "light and darkness cannot dwell together," as our Leader says on page 474 of Science and Health.

Mrs. Eddy has given us a standard by which we can measure our progress as this healing truth wends its way through our thoughts and lives. She says (ibid., p. 99): "The calm, strong currents of true spirituality, the manifestations of which are health, purity, and self-immolation, must deepen human experience, until the beliefs of material existence are seen to be a bald imposition, and sin, disease, and death give everlasting place to the scientific demonstration of divine Spirit and to God's spiritual, perfect man."

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