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M. ETHEL WHITCOMB
Whittier voices the summons in these words: —
Come forth all together! come old and come young, When our hearts respond, and we come forth all together, good will be seen triumphant, for "the gates of hell" cannot withstand the united forces of righteousness. As the soldiers of liberty have laid aside their civilian clothes for the uniforms of world democracy, so let us put off the unillumined garments of self-interest for the sacred panoply of world interest, come forth with them and take our part in the mighty conquest of Love triumphant over all evil. In this great hour he only is a real ally who knows the meaning of Mrs. Eddy's words,"Be allied to the deific power, and all that is good will aid your journey" (Unity of Good, p. 17). He whose thoughts are actually allied with God reflects the power which no phase of evil can resist, and he proves true the promises: "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper;" "One man of you shall chase a thousand." To accomplish his holy mission each soldier in the army of the Lord must be hourly faithful to his spiritual guard duty. Hundreds of times a day he must challenge such mental enemies as belief in material selfhood, fear of evil, love of ease. The alert soldier of Christ, Truth, does not allow any evil suggestion to pass unnoticed and unconquered. With the sword of Spirit, which Scripture calls "the word of God," he slays whatever speaks not of Spirit and spiritual man, or of the omnipotence and omnipresence of good. How important, then, for all who would be veritable soldiers to know the spiritual significance of true defense, so that when the first whispers of discouragement, loneliness, war-weariness or material desires would overcome them, the command to be alert is seen as a divine command, and they equip themselves instantly with "the armour of light." The darkness of discord, doubt, dismay, and destruction cannot touch the man who is clad in this armor; for the consciousness which glows with the inspiration of man's indissoluble unity with God is forever safe in invulnerable mail. When tempted to look for life or peace in matter, the soldier in material uniform and the man in mental uniform should alike hear the command of Truth, "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." It means that we must see man as purely spiritual, inseparable from God who is his Life, his Mind, his All. When material sense would gain a hearing, when thought would tarry to listen to the mesmeric whisperings of ease in error, Truth bids us "Go forward," and the bugle signal, "Attention to orders," is constantly sounding; for are we not always in the presence of eternal Truth, that requires our undivided obedience, attention, and service? The selfless soldier of Principle is not concerned about his rank, whether or not he receives a commission from his Government, or a place seen by men; for he knows that he has already received a commission from God to banish sickness, destroy materiality, overthrow oppression, and uplift the race. He realizes that only through spiritual activity, study, prayer, and demonstration, only through overflowing love and increasing purification of motives, can he be qualified for such a commission, and he is concerned with nothing else. Mrs. Eddy asks in "Miscellaneous Writings" (p. 99), "How many are there ready to suffer for a righteous cause, to stand a long siege, take the front rank, face the foe, and be in the battle every day?" The devoted soldier will not allow himself to be weary of his warfare until mankind is redeemed and "the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ." What if the enemy (belief in evil) does make new and unexpected attacks? This can only serve to drive the inspired warrior higher in his realization of the impotence of evil, and of the irresistible force of omnipotent Truth. He knows that anybody can say, "Oh, when?" and "Oh, why?" when the foe — disease or destruction — apparently assails him, but the Christian Scientist looks beyond the evidence of the senses to the eternal reality and stands unmoved, unafraid, undaunted. More than this, through his exalted example he spurs the disheartened on to victory. Because in reality he does not live in a material world but in the realm of unfettered Love, no circumstance can bind him, no fear can befog him, and no plot or trick of error can benumb him. Alert, active, awake, aroused, he reflects infinite power, and with conviction says, "Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them." The true soldier knows that though forced to use the world's weapons to check the irrational course of those who despotically attempt to control the free, he really wars "not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers," even the world, the flesh, and the devil,— in fact, to break the dream that evil is power. And so, as the servant of God on the battle field, or as the practitioner at the bedside, he repudiates whatever is unlike God and keeps ever before him the perfection of Mind's creation, — man, law, force, power. Mrs. Eddy writes (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 8), "Simply count your enemy to be that which defiles, defaces, and dethrones the Christ-image that you should reflect." He who is hourly striving to banish from his thought the material suggestions which would attempt to defile, deface, and dethrone the Christ-image is helping to purify nations, for the whole belief in evil is lessening with each individual overcoming. To him, thinking is a sacred task, and overcoming a joy. With Timothy he says, "No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." Inspired as he is by the exalted purpose of helping to free all humanity from bondage, he shuns every desire that would entangle him in the web of materiality or prevent him from fulfilling his share in this great mission. He strives not to allow one thought to occupy his consciousness that will not enlighten, purify, and save. Because his thoughts have burst from the limits of locality to the grandeur of universality, he can understand the divine message of the Christ, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." He who lays down a material, earthbound sense of life with its self-stained aims, for the Christ-ideal, finds indestructible life, everlasting peace, unquenchable joy. He it is who endures hardness "as a good soldier of Jesus Christ," because he counts nothing hard which he does for the sake of humanity. Soldiers of liberty need not think that their allies are only those who visibly stand by their side in this mighty struggle for the freedom of our race. A great multitude of Christian Scientists are praying with them for the triumph of our God and of His Christ. Shoulder to shoulder, heart to heart, they march on, nor will they lay down their arms until the last sin is destroyed, the last disease is healed, the last tear is dried, the last hate is melted by Love, and God's kingdom is come "in earth, as it is in heaven." Companions in arms, let us look upward in triumph! A nightless day is dawning. A world redeemed will reach out its arms in thankfulness. Let not one member of this invincible army faint or falter, for Love does shield and sustain His own. With inexhaustible strength we shall move forward, reenforced by good and led onward by God. These lines by Whittier are timely: —
When Good and Evil, as for final strife, Truth's white banner floats on before, and behind it marches the army of our God, protected, inspired, victorious, shouting, "Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth."
Christian Science Sentinel, October 5, 1918 |
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