Calm Trust

Duncan Sinclair

Before we can trust anything we must have some guaranty of its trustworthiness. In business, when an article is sold it is usually guaranteed by the producer. He vouches for it; and having faith in his word the purchaser accepts his statement of its value. Faith in the honesty, uprightness, and goodness of others is thus a great necessity. As faith is established, we attain to a measure of calm trust which would not be possible were faith absent. Without faith in our fellow men, without the trustful spirit begotten of the knowledge of their integrity, we should be fretful and worried; and not until our faith in them was established would our calm be assured, that calm which means so much in human life.

To be able to place our confidence in our fellow men, because of their uprightness, is indeed valuable, but to have confidence in God far exceeds it in worth. And when a statement like this is made, various questions may arise. One, for instance, may reason within himself: My fellow men are known to me. I am frequently in touch with them; consequently, I know the trustworthiness of some and the unreliability of others, but of God I know little if anything. What is His nature, that I may trust Him? This is a question Christian Science invites, because it can answer it fully and correctly.

Christian Science teaches the truth about God, the absolute truth about God. Part of this truth is that He is omnipotent, omnipresent Love, infinite good. Is it possible to find anything higher in which to put out trust than infinite Love, infinite good? We need to ponder well this great revelation of the divine nature. Think of it: Omnipotent Love, omnipotent good, everywhere! And since Love and good are infinite, what of the seeming opposite of Love and good—evil? In reality it is nowhere, for it is unreal. It is the belief, the false belief, that the opposite of Love, of good, is real that prevents the development of full trust in God; and in the proportion that this erroneous belief is destroyed, is faith in Him established. Let us become convinced of God's infinite love and goodness, and as thoroughly convinced of evil's nothingness, and our faith in Him will be so established that nothing will be able to disturb it.

What an asset is faith in God, calm trust in His love and goodness, when we are confronted with any of the claims of evil! Suppose the suggestion be that of sickness or sin. What is either sickness or sin? Is not each a form of evil? This must be so, since neither sickness nor sin is good. We can therefore totally deny them. We should refresh our thought concerning the love and goodness of God, thereby confirming our calm trust in Him. We should affirm His perfection and the perfection of man, His image, and so rise above the illusion of material sense. Writing of the temptation of "the illusion of sickness or sin," on page 495 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy uses these reassuring words: "Let neither fear nor doubt overshadow your clear sense and calm trust, that the recognition of life harmonious—as Life eternally is—can destroy any painful sense of, or belief in, that which Life is not."

Then, again, how valuable is a calm state of consciousness when difficulties seem to arise outside of ourselves! How valuable, more particularly, is calm trust in omnipotent, omnipresent good when a district is swept by a belief of contagious disease! Nothing can possibly surpass this attitude of spiritualized thought, based on a correct understanding of God, in stopping it. God is infinite good; good alone is real. No form of evil, no form of disease, is real. If we are convinced of the truth of God's infinite goodness and love, we can be certain that no plague will come nigh our dwelling. In "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 229) our Leader writes, "A calm, Christian state of mind is a better preventive of contagion than a drug, or than any other possible sanative method; and the 'perfect Love' that 'casteth out fear' is a sure defense."

The Christian Scientist aims at increasing his faith in God and his constant calm trust in good. He knows that in this way alone will he attain to greater peace of mind and become more capable of helping his fellow men when in difficulty or trial. What can be more soothing to one in distress than the calm confidence of another whose thought is stayed on God, whose faith is steadfastly rooted in the knowledge of Love's allness and good's omnipotence! Nothing! Not only so, but the understanding of God's infinite love and goodness heals. "How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God," sings the Psalmist; "therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. .... For with thee is the fountain of life."

Duncan Sinclair

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