Love is the answer to the world's challenge of sickness and discord because, as the Scriptures proclaim (I Cor. 13:8, Revised Version), "Love never faileth." What need can be greater today, in these seemingly troublous times, than the comfort that comes from the assurance which Christian Science brings that God, the ever-present and universal creator, is Love, the source of the love that never fails? Genuine love never fails because it comes from Principle, and Principle never fails because it is Love itself, all-powerful, irresistible Love. Love, the Principle of all that exists, is working out its purpose through divine law and order. In Love we find all that is needed to provide security, dependableness, and freedom from fear.

The problems of the world demand clear thinking, highest motives, and unselfed love for their solution. Jesus foresaw the upheaval that Truth, touching and permeating the world thought, would bring and told us that when these things should come to pass we must look up, that is, above persons and things to God. This Love that never fails is not personal, does not see man as material personality. It expresses itself as man, its reflection, its forever unfolding idea, the image and likeness of divine Mind—the man Jesus beheld.

The writer remembers the joy experienced when our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, gave us the message "Personal Contagion," now published in "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany," which says (p. 117): "'What went ye out for to see?' A person, or a Principle? Whichever it be, determines the right or the wrong of this following." The truths of this message produced fruits of healing. While contemplating its ideal, a student of Christian Science received a call to treat one who had been given up to die by doctors at a tuberculosis sanatorium. The question arose in thought, What went ye out for to see, a person, a patient given up to die with tuberculosis, or a Principle, divine Love, manifesting itself in harmony? The resolve was made to see only the real, despite whatever might be said by the patient or by relatives, or whatever the evidence of the senses might report.

The only treatment given was the realization of the truth which answers the question, "'What went ye out for to see?' A person or a Principle?" and that answer was, I go to see Principle, divine Love, manifesting itself in harmony. The first three days the patient gained three pounds, was able to do things about the house, and could eat whatever was set before her. The realization of divine Principle manifesting itself in harmony was continued, and at the end of four weeks the patient was able to go alone, by trolley, eight miles to a neighboring city, where she saw in a window a "help wanted" sign for the business for which she had been trained. She went into the place, asked for the position, was hired, and in a few days went to work. She has continued to be an active businesswoman throughout the many years since.

That our Leader approved this mental procedure in healing is evidenced by the fact that she had published in the Christian Science Sentinel of October 6, 1906, a letter written her describing this case of healing as one of the first fruits of her article "Personal Contagion."

Our Leader teaches us that "progress is the maturing conception of divine Love" (ibid., p. 181). The maturing conception of Love surely lifts thought above persons to Principle; it illustrates thought beginning to take form in more universal terms. We pause, appreciate, and heed our Leader's words, "Universal Love is the divine way in Christian Science" (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 266). So we think, live, and love more universally. Did not one Christian Scientist hint this when he wrote: "If you love anybody, you love everybody. Not loving everybody, do you love anybody?" This concept opens views of a new heaven and new earth while we are yet yielding the human to the divine.

Progress in the understanding of Christian Science is causing the whole world to feel the effects of the recognition of Principle, Love, governing all. Through Science God is revealing Himself as divine authority, before which every erroneous material concept and every belief of despotic mental control is destined to disappear. The claim of deliberate mental control will be more fully uncovered and will be handled by those who demonstrate God as the only Mind. Then will be understood the "peace ... which passeth all understanding."

To help the world we must watch and pray, our thought must be impersonal, and we must have the spirit of the Beatitudes. It is the divine forces of Spirit that alone have power to uncover as unreal the so-called forces of evil so prevalent today. The powers of the darkness of this world would claim to lay heavy burdens upon mankind and further the claims of evil through organized mass effort. The mesmerism that would regiment and enslave mankind and keep men from advancing into divine light can be broken only by the prayer and fasting our Master knew and told us was requisite.

Only unselfed love, derived from divine Love, unfailing Principle, enables us to maintain our watch for the whole world. We shall gain more of the patience and compassion of our great Master as we understand God as Love and man as Love's expression, and we shall see more of the primitive Christian healing, which will bless all mankind.

It is well to see, in our watch over the world, that there is no condemnation for man. Personal condemnation would, if it were able, kill all inspiration, individual initiative, freedom, and spirituality. Paul said that there is "no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1). We should include here mischievous self-condemnation, for it denies man's perfect selfhood as God's expression, His idea, which Christ reveals. Correct judgments are from God and are righteous because based upon the allness of God and the spiritual perfection of man. When Truth uncovers error, the error is seen as an unreality, and it is thus destroyed and freedom experienced. When personal sense, the belief in man as personal, uncovers error, however, the error is harbored as a reality and healing is not effected, for personal sense lacks wisdom and sometimes involves wrong motives. But Truth's way is always a healing way.

In our work for the world we cannot ignore envy. In the parable of the prodigal son Jesus showed that no one has occasion to envy another, for the father says to the elder son, "All that I have is thine" (Luke 15:32). Divinely we have all, and humanly we have what we are ready to receive. If envy claims to present itself and obstruct our progress, we know, as the Revelator records, "I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it" (Rev. 3:8). The envy of the world is handled as its unreality is seen and individuals come to know God as the only Mind and power. In Job (5:2) we read, "Envy slayeth the silly one;"so it is evident that evil can only destroy itself. God's ideas fit into His purpose and plan harmoniously, as notes have their place in music or numbers in mathematics. God's ideas do not trespass upon one another, and as this is understood harmony appears.

It is the direction we are taking that is important. Christliness in every human endeavor is what counts. In "Pond and Purpose" (Miscellaneous Writings, pp. 203–207) our Leader shows us that before we reach the baptism in spiritual progress, when human consciousness is immersed in divine Love, we receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost and gain spirituality, which destroys evil. The physical realm, so called, becomes less real to us, the veil of the flesh appears thinner and more transparent, as we see more of divine law expressed in human affairs. We see the coincidence of the human and the divine, for the human is yielding and the divine appearing to human comprehension. What has been desert, blossoms and rejoices. God's law of harmony and perfection is in evidence. Love is reflected in the loving and lovable qualities of patience, kindness, thoughtfulness, forgiveness, compassion, purity, childlikeness, humility, meekness, gentleness, and grace, which heal and comfort the sick and sinning. The whole world needs these proofs of healing. They are Love's answer to the challenge of materialism.