Vital Honesty

Violet Ker Seymer

Honesty is a searching quality, "providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men." Honesty, as it is generally interpreted, "in the sight of men" is a moral sense which enables one to detect and reject what are acknowledged to be unjust and wrong practices. Needless to say, scrupulous honesty and honor in all matters of finance and business, moral codes and social relations, are indispensable, for without them blind humanity would be wrecked.

Then there is the higher honesty which is the foe of imperfection in thought, motive, word, and deed because the basis of this honesty "in the sight of the Lord," as understood in Christian Science, is nothing less than complete loyalty to God, divine Principle. The Apostle Paul was suffering from a perverted sense of honesty when he persecuted the early Christians. But when, through higher honesty "in the sight of the Lord," scales fell from his eyes, a tremendous mental readjustment took place in him, and later on he wrote to the converts in Rome: "Let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day." To persecute anything which is genuinely good may therefore be unrecognized dishonesty.

"The armour of light" is the defense of spiritual understanding—the understanding of perfect God and perfect man which Christian Science imparts. Spiritual understanding equips one to do the healing works of Christianity, to destroy conditions labeled incurable by those who accept material sense testimony as veritable, and to take away false burdens through the exalting influence of divine Love, which imposes none. With increased spiritual understanding comes increased honesty—exacting and imperative. Sometimes the first step taken in this higher line of honesty proves to be laying off the burden of sickness, because sickness as well as sin is always contrary to God's will. Christian Science enables us to face joyously the task of overcoming the world, the flesh, and the devil through spiritual understanding. Thereby the Master's command, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect," becomes a vital and liberating influence.

On page 266 of "Miscellaneous Writings" Mrs. Eddy writes, "A clear-headed and honest Christian Scientist will demonstrate the Principle of Christian Science, and hold justice and mercy as inseparable from the unity of God." Enlightened honesty, for instance, promptly detects and resists the approach of discouragement, weakness, fear, doubt, for these are incompatible with Spirit and spiritual perfection. The practice of Christian Science leads to the destruction of any belief in pleasurable sin or painful physical sensation, and guides one past these tempters into the green pastures of spiritual understanding and dominion. Honesty is maintained in proportion as one maintains a sense of unity with God, omnipotent good.

This task confronts every Christian Scientist: to maintain his grasp on the spiritual facts of perfect God and perfect man, and to prove their liberating power in the very face of what to material sense appears to be a sick, sinful, warring, and impoverished world. As honesty is recognized in its relation to God, divine Principle, it enables us to stand firm in the midst of apparent fear, sickness, or business depression, and to hold steadfastly to man's present heritage of health, confidence, and abundance.

Jesus said that "an honest and good heart" was the "good ground" where the seed brought forth "an hundredfold." Honesty toward God, omnipotent good, breaks the iniquitous habit of putting forward excuses for prolonged discord or slow spiritual growth; it puts to silence the alibis of hereditary traits, personal handicap, or the influence of general depression. Mental dishonesty is betrayed in untruthful thought and conversation, in the constant entertaining and voicing of negative beliefs, and the deploring of one's own and others' shortcomings. Were these shortcomings genuinely deplored, we should turn away from them to "the beauty of holiness" and mentally reflect this beauty. Honesty, then, is the foe of procrastination in facing and overcoming discordant conditions. It shows mortal mind to be the would-be deceiver of the human race. But honesty is undeceived, and in "an honest and good heart" the atmosphere of victory is sustained.

Our Leader writes (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 126), "Christian Scientists have a strong race to run, and foes in ambush; but bear in mind that, in the long race, honesty always defeats dishonesty." No one can be debarred from spiritual awakening and its fruitage save by his own consent, and honesty forbids this consent. "Therefore ... we faint not; but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty."

Perpetual gratitude to God, the infinite and only source of good, rules out rankling, resentment, weak speculation as to prospects, and calmly maintains the fact that God's government is supreme here and now. Hence gratitude is the wide-awake ally of honesty. Mrs. Eddy writes (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 118): "We shall have no faith in evil when faith finds a resting-place and scientific understanding guides man. Honesty in every condition, under every circumstance, is the indispensable rule of obedience."

Violet Ker Seymer

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Conversion and Healing

August 4, 1934

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