True Selfhood

NANCY H. ADAMS

Everyone recognizes that unselfishness implies selfforgetfulness, self-sacrifice, and self-effacement, but in Christian Science this quality takes on an even wider meaning. On page 51 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," in the chapter entitled "Atonement and Eucharist," Mrs. Eddy writes: "Jesus was unselfish. His spirituality separated him from sensuousness, and caused the selfish materialist to hate him; but it was this spirituality which enabled Jesus to heal the sick, cast out evil, and raise the dead."

"Unselfish" takes on a big meaning here. The selfishness of materiality is contrasted with the selflessness of spirituality. It was this surrender of materiality which enabled Jesus to recognize the only true selfhood, even God's image and likeness. In this way he saw himself and all God's children, and his spiritual insight enabled him with marvelous ability to heal those who came to him seeking help.

How are we to approximate this unselfishness of the Master; how adapt ourselves to the scientific sense of this spiritual quality? In her Message to The Mother Church for 1900 our Leader writes (p. 11), "Hold in yourselves the true sense of harmony, and this sense will harmonize, unify, and unself you." A dictionary meaning of the word "harmony" is "concord in facts, ... peace and friendship." Thus, we have to achieve agreement, peace, and friendship among ourselves as a first step towards unselfishness. How better can we do this than by studying the lives of prophets and apostles as found in the Bible? Here we find that Abraham recognized no loss in offering Lot his choice of the land before them. Jacob, the one-time usurper of another's rights, so ascended the scale of being that he could see his brother as Love's reflection, and would share with him his riches. The impulse for self-preservation on the part of Peter was changed to fearless self-surrender in God's service; while Paul could say, "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ."

With these glorious examples of selflessness before us, we may get enlightenment enough to meet our own difficulties and shortcomings. We see ourselves, maybe, building up materiality by criticism of another's attitude and life, or in being hurt by their judgment of ours. We may want either to condemn material selfhood or justify it. Then to our thought come those healing words of Christ Jesus, "Judge not." Let us no longer consider a supposititious selfhood, but, rising higher, give others the credit for acting up to their highest understanding of good, and ourselves endeavor so to live. It is a common habit to judge others in the light of what one would do were one in their place; but is not this egotistical? May it not be possible that they are acting from a higher standpoint than we have yet reached? "Judge not, that ye be not judged."

In a beautiful letter to a branch church, Mrs. Eddy writes (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 165), "The best man or woman is the most unselfed." The question of importance is, What are we able to do for others? We find our true selfhood as, to the best of our understanding, we uphold the banner of truth in our lives and, so far as we are able, live according to the Golden Rule. God demands honesty of purpose, and will give the wisdom necessary for our highest endeavors; and experience will teach us, until spiritual sense illumines and controls all our human experiences. Paul says, "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality." Even as Paul found himself as he put off fleshly sense, so let us find our true selfhood in putting off selfishness. Let us live to reflect the Love that is ever present, finding our highest joy in loving as our Master bade us love.

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Our Priceless Bodyguard

December 12, 1931

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