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ALEXANDER WARENDORFF
Before the study of Christian Science was taken up, there had existed a bitter feud between a relative and the student, and through this quarrel two families had been separated. During the first two years of his study the Scientist experienced many beautiful healings; but one claim, which seemed hardest to overcome, refused to yield in spite of all the study and mental work done by himself and a Christian Science practitioner. Meanwhile, every morning during the summer season the supposedly bitter foe passed the Scientist's home on his way to the train. One morning the Scientist awoke to the fact that not only had he been ignoring this relative, but he had been harboring resentment against him. Although, through his study of Christian Science, he had gained sufficient spiritual understanding about man's true relationship to God to know the truth about the situation, he was not using this understanding. He asked himself whether Love was passive or active; and the answer came with no uncertainty, revealing Love as omniactive and showing clearly that Love's reflection could not be inactive. Further inquiry prompted him to deal with this claim as one would with a belief of sickness, in order to destroy the lie. With the taking up of the metaphysical work, love became active in the Scientist's thought, and he began to see that God's ideas are actually one harmonious family dwelling together in unity and love; he saw that they could never be separated by a belief of hatred. As customary, the next morning the so-called enemy passed the Scientist's home on his way to the station, and just as he came into sight this Bible verse came to the student: "When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." Not a word had been spoken; but when the student reached the station the supposed foe, standing at a newsstand, hailed him thus: "What's the use of our being bad friends any longer; which paper will you have?" Throughout the day that Bible verse kept coming to the Scientist's thought, also the pleasant salutation, and he became conscious of the fact that he was free from the disease which had claimed to be so persistent for two years. It has never returned, and the healing took place many years ago. This was not all the good which came from that healing; for without a word, or any further work on the Scientist's part, the two families were once more lovingly united. One uninstructed in divine Science may ask, How did that instantaneous healing come about? Only through the reflection of divine Love. The student, rising above his false concept of man, had envisaged God's spiritually perfect child, who is always without hate, without spot, blemish, defect, or deformity. The false testimony of so-called material sense had been subdued. The great Metaphysician, Christ Jesus, admonished us in the Sermon on the Mount, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you;" and on another occasion said, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: . . . and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." The Christian Scientist had kept the commandments, and God's law had manifested itself to him in instantaneous healing. There is only one battle that needs to be fought, only one victory to be won, and that is to conquer self, — to get self out of the way; then divine Love will shine through and do its work. Every victory over self takes us a rung higher up on the spiritual ladder, and great joy is to be found in the fulfillment of God's promise that all things shall be inherited by him that overcometh. Mrs. Eddy says on page 365 of our textbook, "If the Scientist reaches his patient through divine Love, the healing work will be accomplished at one visit, and the disease will vanish into its native nothingness like dew before the morning sunshine." Here we have the keynote of instantaneous healing. We must find the open door to the very heart of divine Love before we can accomplish instantaneous healing. We must possess not only the letter but the spirit as well, before we can reach this great desideratum. Perhaps many times when we have asked ourselves why we do not do better and quicker healing work, the lines from our textbook, stated above, so fraught with meaning, have come to mind, and we have prayed to our heavenly Father, divine Love, for more grace and spiritual understanding. They stand out in bold relief, and will remain throughout all time to be demonstrated. The truth they reveal is as immovable, as irrevocable, as irresistible, as divine Principle itself. Love is the divine power which alone can bring instantaneous healing, and nothing else can be substituted for this power; it must be acquired before we can fulfill the great longing which every Christian Scientist cherishes in his heart. We may read the Lesson-Sermon daily; we may be systematic Bible students; we may memorize many Scriptural verses; we may be letter-perfect in our Leader's writings; we may be punctilious in our church attendance and church duties; but unless we possess the spirit of Love, we cannot perform the sudden cures which our beloved Leader in so many instances achieved. In working over some distressing problem, we sometimes increase our study and our mental work; but still the problem goes on unsolved. Then in bitter disappointment we wonder why we do not get results. Perhaps we begin to search our thought to learn the quality of the guests we are entertaining in our mental home. Are there any thoughts there of suspicion or criticism, or are we judging unrighteous judgment? Are there any thoughts there of resentment, impatience, fear, selfishness? If so, then we must work harder to overcome these foes to our progress with thoughts of kindness, patience, love, tolerance, trustfulness. We must strive daily, hourly, momentarily, to spiritualize our thinking, and so fit ourselves for the great attainment, namely, to be able instantaneously to heal. To the mortal senses the way does not seem easy. Faults of temperament and old habits of thinking seem to cling to us, and as a rule they do not yield without a severe struggle; but when once we see them as errors, their doom is sealed, because through the aid of divine mercy and Love we are enabled to rise into higher and holier consciousness, until all these foes are cast out by the clear reflection of spiritual Love. Sometimes we may be tempted to believe that we cannot grow in grace and spiritual understanding because of lack of proper environment; but it should be remembered that the victory over self can be gained in spite of so-called environment. This lesson may be gleaned from trees, plants, and flowers; for these will live under adverse conditions, adjusting themselves wonderfully to their environment. Pond lilies are sometimes found in stagnant pools; lilac bushes and honeysuckle vines among squalid surroundings; yet they grow, and give freely of their fragrance. May we not liken a consciousness purged of wrong thinking to these silent messengers? A consciousness filled with loving thoughts will permeate the atmosphere with the sweet perfume of Love's attributes, and all who come in contact with it will be helped by its influence. Whatever seems wrong about the environment will be neutralized by this reflection of Love. As we look abroad in the world today, we note that humanity is greatly in need of this purified consciousness; and Christian Science is the greatest agency on earth for helping mortals to free themselves from the mesmerism of the material senses. We all need to watch and pray for more love, more compassion, more patience, humility, tolerance, and obedience. Let us never forget that it is Love's reflection which heals; and that it is only through this reflection of Love that much of the world's hardness can be melted away. On page 260 of "Miscellaneous Writings" our dear Leader has written : "Pure Mind gives out an atmosphere that heals and saves. Words are not always the auxiliaries of Truth. The spirit, and not the letter, performs the vital functions of Truth and Love."
Christian Science Sentinel, April 11, 1925 |
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