Love's Answer

MARGARET N. BLODGETT

Christ Jesus declared God to be Spirit, and St. John knew Him as divine Love. In the fullness of time Mary Baker Eddy taught that God, as Spirit, Life, Truth, and Love, guides, governs, and protects all. As we study her writings we also learn that Spirit is all-seeing, all-hearing, and all-knowing Mind.

John the Baptist caught a glimpse of this truth while preaching in the wilderness. The priests and Levites came to him with no thought of repentance, but to question him as to his origin, saying (John 1:22), "Who art thou?" John, in his reply, claimed no human relationships, no personality; he simply answered (John 1:23), "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Make straight the way of the Lord." The next day when he saw Jesus coming to him, John said to his disciples, "Behold the Lamb of God." Jesus was not recognized as a relative, or as Jesus of Nazareth, but only as the Lamb or Son of God, "which taketh away the sin of the world."

This reference was not clear to the writer, because although Christ Jesus had appeared to men, sin had not been taken away; it still seemed to be very strong in the world. When studying the definition of "Lamb of God" on page 590 of the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, she learned that the Lamb of God is "the spiritual idea of Love; self-immolation; innocence and purity; sacrifice." Suddenly she realized that this described the only man of God's creating—the man who is innocent, entirely separate from all evil; sinless, pure, and perfect.

Taking away the sins of the world is the work of the Christ, the Son of God, daily and hourly. When men appear as sinful or diseased we must ever be obedient to destroy these pictures by beholding only the Godlike man. In Genesis we read that God created man; and the work of infinite intelligence is always perfect throughout eternity.

A relative living with a student of Christian Science was not opposed to the teachings of Christian Science, but had no desire for treatment for himself. He suffered very much from severe headaches and colds, and the student found herself many times thinking of various faults as the causes of these difficulties. At one time he became very much disturbed about a physical ailment, which, because he could not retain any food, prevented him from doing any work. He decided to call a physician to ascertain the cause of this upset condition. As soon as the telephone call was made, the Scientist standing by immediately heard the "still small voice" of Truth saying, "I find no fault in this man" (Luke 23:4), and the student silently declared, If divine Love finds no fault with man, why, neither can I.

While the multitude was finding fault and clamoring that he be crucified. Pilate spoke these words as he faced the faultless Christ Jesus. To the student, however, this message did not belong to or come from Pilate; to her it was divine Love's estimate of man. the only begotten of the Father, faultless, sinless, diseaseless, ageless, the living witness of Love's perfect, pure, complete, abundant life. As this truth was held to there was no surprise when the physician said: "There is no diseased condition. All you need is to relax, and let go; you have been overworking, trying to do more than you are able to accomplish." This verdict was a great relief to the relative who had been worried about the condition, and when he stopped worrying about himself he was able to resume his work.

When alone and quietly going over the day's experience the student realized she was the one who most needed Love's message and healing. She had been seeing what she thought were faults, believing them to be very real and attaching them to man, instead of separating error from man. She saw that there was only one way to work out this problem and every other, and that was to follow the leading of Truth and Love.

Many times when we have a difficult experience to face, we are prone to question, "Who is at fault?" always thinking, of course, that error is personal. But Jesus, when his disciples asked him concerning the blind man, "Who did sin, this man, or his parents?" answered (John 9:2, 3), "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him."

Our real work is to behold the very presence of God, infinite good, at all times, in the place where error claims to be. In reality mortal error has no life, place, substance, voice, or manifestation.

Our beloved Leader, Mrs. Eddy, discovered the true idea of God and man, the truth which heals and protects, when she wrote (Poems, p. 29),

Thou gentle beam of living Love,
And deathless Life!
Truth infinite,—so far above
All mortal strife,

"Or cruel creed, or earth-born taint:
Fill us today
With all thou art—be thou our saint,
Our stay, alway."

Man, out of reach, above, beyond all that is unlike good! This is enough to know.

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