Let There Be Lifting Up

The endeavor to lift up mankind in any direction is invariably actuated by a purpose for betterment. The moment one speaks of lifting up there comes a thought of improved conditions. When in the long ago the Psalmist sang, “Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in,” he evidently saw that the human consciousness must necessarily become exalted before it can begin to take cognizance of holy things. There must be gates opened, doors thrown wide, in order that real good may enter and abide.

The writer to the Hebrews went further and indicated plainly the perpetual need of also helping to lift up our brother, that he may gain thereby a better sense of life and its activities. He counseled those who were professed followers of the Christ to “lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.”

At the present time there is, perhaps, the most universal desire to bring about a higher, more harmonious state of things along every line that the world has ever known. Society after society, organization after organization, has been established to help lift humanity into greater comfort, happiness, intelligence,—yes, even into a larger understanding of holiness itself. To be sure, men generally believe they must do this largely from material standpoints. Nevertheless, no right purpose, however mistakenly pursued, can be entirely lost or fail of some fruition. Because, however, men are not gaining the complete results they have hoped for, and are still longing for that lifting up of humanity which shall bring satisfactory peace everywhere, they are beginning to reach out, as never before, for that which God alone can supply,—namely, a practical method of helping the world out of its wrongs and wretchedness.

Christian Scientists are to-day rejoicing in the glad knowledge that God’s method for lifting up all the people of the earth—the method Jesus demonstrated—has been explained in the perfect Science which our heavenly Father revealed to Mary Baker Eddy, the one whom He had prepared to receive it, and whom Christian Scientists delight to honor as their beloved and revered Leader. Although they are so sure that this perfect, God-given Christian Science can be understood and proved even as perfectly as Jesus demonstrated it—for did he not command all his followers to be perfect even as the Father is perfect?—still the students of Christian Science to-day are quite aware that they are as yet but humble learners in this way of life, and they search their textbooks—the Bible and all of Mrs. Eddy’s writings—with constant assiduity in order that they may advance as rapidly as possible.

In “Miscellaneous Writings” (p. 355) Mrs. Eddy makes a very illuminating statement in regard to the lifting up which all students of Christian Science are seeking to know and practice. She writes, “To strike out right and left against the mist, never clears the vision; but to lift your head above it, is a sovereign panacea.” In spite of the great lucidity of this statement, it often takes the student many a day before he even begins to understand what such lifting up means. He struggles along, surrounded by the mist, imagining that he can, with his vision thus clouded, solve the problems confronting him. Indeed, does he not too frequently look upon his problem as being that which is in the midst of the mist? And is it not there he believes he must work it out?

For instance: suppose one is faced with a claim of disease, is he not apt to spend much time considering what matter or a body is telling him? Does he not often contemplate symptoms, or wonder just what harmonious condition he should endeavor to bring about in the body? Possibly he even tries to find what some physician would call his malady, arguing to himself meanwhile that if he could only know the Adam-name for it he would be better able to deny it. Is not all this striking out “right and left against the mist”? Should he not, rather, lift his head into the pure sense of Spirit, and find there the truth which always proves there is no sickness in divine Mind as one becomes conscious of living there?

Just so it is with every human difficulty, whatever it may claim to be. If sin,—then the lifting up is always done by departing from evil and dwelling with good forevermore. Is it a home problem, a church problem, a business problem? Always there is the opportunity to apply the teaching of Christian Science by stopping all stumbling efforts in the mist, and lifting thought into the blessed consciousness that right here above the mist is always “the active, all-wise, law-creating, law-disciplining, law-abiding Principle, God” (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 206). As we place ourselves in His blessed care by thus recognizing the availability of His ever-presence, we shall indeed find the “sovereign panacea.” Then always, let there be lifting up!