When people have offended us, been unkind, or even deliberately cruel, and we disagree with them, how easy it is to fall into the old devil belief and say (to ourselves at least), "To blazes with them!" But when we do this, are we not saying they are unworthy of our love, and God's love? How can we do this? Wouldn't it be better to say, "To heaven with them," and to get a more spiritual concept of them?

We actually injure ourselves when we see others as separated from God's goodness and grace, since all of us are in reality the loved children of God. We must love each other! How do we do this when we are frustrated by someone?

A man I know is a good example. He did alterations for a living, and when he came to return some finished garments, he was greeted with a tirade from the manager because of a slight imperfection in the last delivery. It was a very rude and unfair tongue lashing. But when he returned to the front desk, instead of being in a slump he was swinging along, whistling and singing. One of the staff said to him in amazement, "How come you're always so cheerful?" He replied, "I've tried it the other way. It doesn't work!" How right he is. It never works to be resentful.

A warm feeling of appreciation came over me, and I thought, "This man knows what it's all about! He has refused to react to ugliness and so maintained his own peaceful thinking. Instant forgiveness must have been involved here, too. Nothing can take our joy so long as we refuse to let evil enter our thought. I was thankful that this example of good will helped all of us take a better view of ourselves and of our sometimes explosive co-worker.

In the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health, part of Mrs. Eddy's definition of heaven is "harmony; ... the atmosphere of Soul." ^{Science and Health, p. 587.} We must want for others what we want for ourselves—a higher degree of harmonious thinking. Christ Jesus said, "The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." ^{John 14:30.} In other words, evil could find no place in Jesus' thinking. He was, in this instance, instructing his disciples to keep his commandments and helping them to see their own potential for good. The entire fourteenth chapter of John has comforting directions for us along these lines. Mrs. Eddy explains in her Miscellaneous Writings: "If you have been badly wronged, forgive and forget .... Never return evil for evil; and, above all, do not fancy that you have been wronged when you have not been." ^{Mis., p. 12.}

In every Church of Christ, Scientist, on the first Sunday of each month, "A Rule for Motives and Acts" is read by the First Reader from the Manual of The Mother Church by Mrs. Eddy. This remarkable reminder of Christlike thinking says: "Neither animosity nor mere personal attachment should impel the motives or acts of the members of The Mother Church. In Science, divine Love alone governs man; and a Christian Scientist reflects the sweet amenities of Love, in rebuking sin, in true brotherliness, charitableness, and forgiveness. The members of this Church should daily watch and pray to be delivered from all evil, from prophesying, judging, condemning, counseling, influencing or being influenced erroneously." ^{Man., Art. VIII, Sect. 1.}

Think of it! In the real man's identity "divine Love alone governs man." This includes you, me, everyone, as children of God, of our one heavenly Parent. Can we leave anyone out of the kingdom of heaven? Can we say, "Forget about them, God. They disagree with me and my concepts of you"? I contrast this attitude with that of the master Christian, Christ Jesus, who said: "Love your enemies ... do good to them that hate you." ^{Matt. 5:44.} We cannot afford to ignore this commandment to love one another. It is human will that fails to recognize that, in their true being, all reflect God. How much better it is to let divine Love rebuke sin and do the correcting of others, while we ourselves quietly love them, than for us to try to force our opinions on others.

The way Jesus responded to the woman taken in adultery showed his utter compassion and purity of thought in recognizing her innocence as the child of God. Knowing that under the Mosaic law she would be stoned, he touched the conscience of her accusers, saying, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." But after her accusers had left, he told the woman, "Go, and sin no more." ^{John 8:7, 11.}

In facing whatever sin comes to our attention, we want justice, but with forgiveness and reformation. How can we criticize (throw stones) and be without sin? I used to throw stones, mentally, at people who smoked. So when someone dear to me became addicted to smoking I was annoyed by the smell, distressed by the mess, and upset by the whole thing. I saw a need to change my thought about this individual, who was in truth God's child. Every time I thought about this lovely person I thought: "What a silly imposition this is! It has nothing to do with God or His image and likeness, since man is the pure likeness of Spirit." She did stop smoking, but I had been healed of my distress over the habit long before then. In fact, I no longer even smelled the smoke.

Mrs. Eddy writes in Retrospection and Introspection, "He who gains the God-crowned summit of Christian Science never abuses the corporeal personality, but uplifts it." ^{Ret., p. 76.} As we pray to purify our concept of our fellowman, we automatically give up human opinions and criticism to some degree. We can honestly magnify the good in others. This is not casting pearls. It is polishing gems! And it is obeying the divine requirement "to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free." ^{Isa. 58:6.}

Since the quality of our relationships is determined by what we think about others, let us willingly say, "To heaven with them."