How to Save the World

Mary Baker Eddy made a rather bold statement to Martha Bogue, one of her early workers. She stated, “The truth that God is All-in-all and that there is no evil, held faithfully by Christian Scientists, will save the world and it is all that will save it.” (Miscellaneous Documents) Apparently, Mrs. Eddy was speaking about the not so distant future. She gave us a hint at what this future world-wide calamity might be when she quoted St. Paul’s epistle to the Galatians on page 106 of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures:

“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings and such like: of the which I tell you before as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

The hint, you ask? She italicized the word witchcraft. It is not italicized in the King James Bible, (Galatians 6:19-21). We as Christian Scientists are to handle the belief of witchcraft, of a belief in a power apart from God where evil is worshipped. The 1828 Webster’s dictionary defines witchcraft as “the practice of witches; sorcery; enchantments; intercourse with the devil.” Sorcery is defined as “divination by the assistance or supposed assistance of evil spirits”. Enchantments are “the use of magic arts, spells or charms”. So, are we to be afraid of witchcraft and evil spells? No. As Christian Science teaches, God is the only power in the universe, and we all bow our knees unto Christ. The first commandment is to “have no other gods before Me.” We should have no faith or belief in any other supposed power.

And Mrs. Eddy has given us the means to handle this belief or mesmerism in her statement to Mrs. Bogue, “The truth that God is All-in-all and that there is no evil, held faithfully by Christian Scientists, will save the world and it is all that will save it.” We are to hold to the truth of an all-powerful God who fills all space, who leaves no room for evil of any sort. God is “of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity.” (Habakkuk 1:13) We must cast out the demon belief that witchcraft, hypnotism, evil spirits have any power or existence. One of Christ Jesus’ commands to us is to cast out demons, or demonic thinking. And how can we as Christian Scientists do this? Mrs. Eddy tells us “The way to extract error from mortal mind is to pour in truth through flood-tides of Love.” (S&H, p. 201:17-18)

We must love our fellow man and hold to the truth that God’s image and likeness can never be attracted to evil of any sort. And we must pour in this truth through flood-tides of Love for all humanity. That is all that will save our world.