"Whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God."

For a long time I thought these words were the pledge of a bride to her bridegroom and vice versa. It was quite a surprise to discover they were the loving words of a daughter-in-law to her mother-in-law around 350 B. C., as set down in the Old Testament in the book of Ruth, Chapter 1, verse 16.

A far cry from the frequent present-day relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law! As a matter of fact, for quite some time there has been recognized prejudice between the two, inviting friction, heartache, even the breaking up of marriages. Why?

This relationship is an unsought by-product of marriage. It involves emotionally a number of people, each of whom seems to have a mind of his own. The belief in many minds results sometimes in a conflict of opinions, in animosities, or in selfish personal attachments. The effect is discord and strife.

Can the in-law problem be healed by the law of God in Christian Science? It can. How does one go about it?

First of all, he must find out what God is. Mary Baker Eddy gives us in Science and Health the following explanation: "God is incorporeal, divine, supreme, infinite Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, Love." ^{Science and Health, p. 465;}

The next step is to find out what man is. The Bible tells us plainly: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." ^{Gen. 1:27;} This is the man we need to understand, the spiritual man, the only real man there is.

From these two premises we conclude that we all—mothers-in-law, daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, fathers-in-law—have one creator, one Father-Mother God. We all are His children. We are, in reality, spiritual, incorporeal, complete; and we all reflect the one Mind, supreme, infinite Love.

Mrs. Eddy writes: "It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love. Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brotherhood of man will be established." ^{Science and Health, p. 467;}

Here one can almost hear someone say, "How can all those different people have one Mind? Old and young people, male and female, are involved—not to mention different forms of attraction, perhaps conflicting cultural, religious, or ethnic backgrounds. Do you then say all have one Mind? Impossible!"

Just a moment. Let me ask a question. Do we not all remember a time in school when we were faced with a mathematical problem, one that seemed impossible to solve? But then our attention was directed to specific rules of mathematical science, which, when studied and correctly applied, made it possible for us to solve the problem.

Well, Christian Science is Science. Its textbook, Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy, contains rules to be studied, understood, and applied. The effect of the understanding application of these God-inspired rules is the Christ-healing of discordant conditions.

Here is an example: A mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had earnestly studied, understood, and applied Christian Science in their relationship. The daughter-in-law asked for permission to address her mother-in-law by her first name. The request was happily granted. The next letter contained these words, "I will surely hop around from now on in my appellations. Sometimes you'll be Ann and sometimes Mother. Thank you. It confers formally the tremendous freedom I feel in our relationship. I am blessed by not being burdened with beliefs about in-law relationships. You are sister, friend, mother-in-law. ... I hope to be able to transfer this wonderful freedom to my own relationship with my future daughters-in-law. Why not!"

The two women experienced continuing and growing joy, appreciation, harmony, and love for each other.

This is not a special case. Everyone can take advantage of the scientific, spiritual truth governing relationships. All we have to do is to live God's rules. We can stop thinking of ourselves as in-laws. We are all the beloved children of God! As parents we need to stop believing that persons can take our children and their love away from us. The allness of God's love is our heritage, our birthright. God does not play favorites.

We are unchangingly cared for, powerfully protected by our creator. We don't have to try to buy affection with gifts and feel hurt by what we might call ingratitude. Our reflection of spiritual love will do more for ourselves and everyone else than any merely personal efforts.

Christ Jesus advised us: "Judge not, that ye be not judged." ^{Matt. 7:1;} If you are a mother-in-law, you can discipline yourself consistently to replace your critical concept of a daughter-in-law with the truth of the daughter of God.

If you are a daughter-in-law, you are just as much the loved of Love! You don't have to hang on tenaciously to a human title. You are not surrounded by thoughtless mortals but by God's loving children. You can stop believing that you have to defend yourself and your marriage against a hostile relative. You include, by reflection, the right idea of relationships and home. You can follow the Golden Rule: "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." ^{v. 12 .}

Obedience to this counsel of the Master, Christ Jesus, makes it easier for us to express patience, meekness, and love; and peace and happiness is ours. We won't be listening to the suggestions of mere physical sense. We will be listening to and following the Christ, the divine image and likeness. If we exchange such an appellation as "my husband's mother" with the silent declaration, "She is the child of God," we will embrace a friend.

Likewise, sons and husbands, in their true, spiritual being, are sons of God! They coexist with God throughout eternity. They are complete by reflection. They express both masculine and feminine qualities combined in a satisfied and satisfying wholeness. Strength and tenderness, wisdom and loving-kindness, are theirs. They don't have to see themselves as torn between conflicting loyalties but can believe in God as divine Spirit and serve Him.

And all the other in-laws, reflecting and expressing the one Mind, which is supreme Principle, truly live and move in law, in the divine law of perfect harmony.

We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28