Contemporary religion is fraught with questions and concern about morality—that discriminating knowledge of what is good and constructive, opposed to the degenerative and self-destructive. But was it always so? Perhaps not. Just as moral sensitivity and affection need to be nurtured and tested in individuals, so too, in generations and societies, religious worship needs to mature into moral insights and the right kind of questions.

A hint at the necessity for this sort of maturation is felt in a line penned by a Roman contemporary of fledgling Christianity. Petronius wrote, Primus in orbe deos fecit timor ("It was fear that first made gods in the world").

What can span the distance between primitive fear and the knowledge of God as spiritual power upholding, not competing with, the life of man?

A clue might be found in considering the stark contrast between the saying of the Roman poet and that of the Nazarene prophet to whom Christians look today, when he stated as the two great requirements of the ancient law: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.... And... Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." ^{Matt. 22:37,39.} Through such changes of perspective, spiritual and moral affection dawn in human consciousness. Spiritual insights tip religious commitment and observance toward life and understanding, and away from the dominance of fear and superstition.

Showing the moral tempering and spiritual affection that change our religious practices, Mrs. Eddy writes: "Believing that man is the victim of his Maker, we naturally fear God more than we love Him; whereas 'perfect Love casteth out fear;' but when we learn God aright, we love Him, because He is found altogether lovely." In the next paragraph she continues: "We are all sculptors, working out our own ideals, and leaving the impress of mind on the body as well as on history and marble, chiselling to higher excellence, or leaving to rot and ruin the mind's ideals. Recognizing this as we ought, we shall turn often from marble to model, from matter to Mind, to beautify and exalt our lives." ^{The People's Idea of God, pp. 6,7.}

If we find ourselves afraid of the unknown, as well as of what we think we already know that seems almost as dangerous, how are we to bridge the gap and reach the dawn of spiritual awakening? How can we find man as the child of God and gain reassurance?

One crucial factor is that we need to cherish and nurture deep in our hearts an unquenchable yearning to know God as He really is. In other words, when complacency and stereotyped theology are ruled out, we must have questions—undeniable questions that press prayerful inquiry beyond our present perception and accomplishment.

A reader of Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy will find irrepressible inquiry characterizing every page. Its probing undermines materialism, tyranny, and fear of God or the world. The spirit of this kind of Christian yearning and inquiry is echoed in the experience of any sincere seeker. It is as though this deeply Christian book, throwing new light on so many deep questions, had been shaped by a real and continuing dialogue between author and reader. At the heart of our study are questions that stir our prayers, such as, "The precise form of God must be of small importance in comparison with the sublime question, What is infinite Mind or divine Love?

"Who is it that demands our obedience?" ^{Science and Health, p. 256.}

Asking the right questions at certain vital points is often more crucial to spiritual and moral breakthroughs than is an obsession with quick answers. (But sometimes that fact may not be what we think we want to hear.)

For example, consider that Pilate's question "What is truth?" was unanswered. Pilate and any other witnesses were left with the weight of that question and the need to learn its answer through personal striving, as well as through the logic of the events to come. The question left unanswered may well have been more promotive of moral discovery than any brief summary Jesus might have given. To a superficial judge of events it might seem that truth had been betrayed. But at this stage the question, not the answer, was timely.

Thinkers—spiritually committed thinkers—do not need to grow anxious in the company of questions, for honest questions often follow moral awakening.

In addition, there is a distinctly Christian phenomenon that should discipline our yearnings. It is this: There must be the humility of a learner behind the questions. Throughout the scriptural narrative, the unbroken link in humanity's search for God and His saving Christ is the willingness of the seeker to listen for the divine response, even though it leads first through the wilderness of Sinai. This humility is the saving grace that shields intellectual inquiry from the disappointment of self-indulgence, despair, and cynicism.

So the next time you hear the words "Are there any questions?" let your questions come from the heart and be a sign of moral awakening. The latter reveals, step by step, divine Love's good purpose. One description should always apply to a Christian thinker who is a student of Christian Science: He has searching questions and continually seeks his answers from divine Mind.