“Lively stones”

No figure of speech has been a greater favorite with writers of all ages than that of stones. The Bible contains examples almost without number of the use of stones as metaphor. When there was the wish to write of something reprehensible, we read of hearts of stone, stones of darkness, stones of emptiness, stones of stumbling; while the purpose to commend would find expression in tried stones, white stones, and so on. Christ is frequently referred to as a stone,—a precious corner-stone, a living stone, an elect stone.

Perhaps no use of the word can bring to students of Christian Science a more practical lesson than that which Peter indulged in, when he spoke of the elect of his day as “lively stones.” We read in the second chapter of I Peter: “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” This contemplation of a stone as “lively” immediately presents something unusual to thought, and sets one wondering as to the possibility of uniting such opposite qualities as those ordinarily attributed to stones—as, for instance, endurance, firmness, strength, stability—and those which belong to the usual definitions of lively,—such as, active, animated, energetic, buoyant, enlivening.

Here, as at all times, Christian Science explains away the apparent inconsistencies of the Bible; for when Mrs. Eddy “gained the scientific certainty that all causation was Mind, and every effect a mental phenomenon” (Retrospection and Introspection, p. 24), she showed mankind the possibility of embracing in the same mentality all the qualities of good, even though human thought might claim them to be totally diverse. Thus, to every alert worker in Christian Science, Peter’s “lively stones” immediately present a picture of great attractiveness; for there is nothing the Christian Scientist desires more earnestly than to be invincibly steadfast in his allegiance to Principle,—to be indeed as immovable as any stone. At the same time, his purpose is always to express the greatest activity in the exercise of every right quality, even of those very stone-like qualities of invincibility, steadfastness, immobility. When Peter goes on to say that these lively stones “are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices,” he really expresses the whole truth of right spiritual activity in living; for what does the offering of spiritual sacrifice mean, except the yielding of every material belief to the quick and instant necessity of expressing the qualities of good, that the spiritual structure of righteousness may appear.

Perhaps no better illustration of the way this activity should work in the advancement of the movement of Christian Science could be given than in the production of the Christian Science periodicals. Every individual who is connected with such production, from the least even to the greatest, must indeed be a “lively” stone. Each one must be firm, secure, and strong in his allegiance to Principle, and therefore not easily moved or disturbed by apparently adverse influence,—just steadily fixed in righteousness. But he must be equally quick to allow anything and everything that is unlike Principle to be cut away, that the perfecting of the whole may appear in all its beauty. A contributor to the periodicals should be a very “lively” stone in his concept of the periodicals as a whole. If his faith has the stonelike quality of fixedness, because he knows that the divine Mind which gave him the idea he is presenting will have the wisdom to care for it,—and if he has also the lively sense which recognizes that to-day in the building up of any activity, as, for instance, a given issue of our periodicals, there must be the necessity of having all the stones in the structure fit,—then he will be quick in his desire to offer “spiritual sacrifices.”

One of the most important lessons for all Christian Scientists is to have their stones fit in the universal structure. One great difficulty is that each one is often thinking more about his own stone than of the perfection of the whole structure. Because of this he is apt to believe his stone is quite perfect as it is, and if it cannot appear just as he presents it—very well, then, it need not appear at all! He argues to himself that all his praying and studying and working has enabled him to get so close to God, divine Mind, that necessarily his stone must be perfect. But then—it doesn’t fit! So, what is to be done about it? He must remember to be a “lively” stone; and to-day this surely means the willingness to sacrifice even what may appear as beautiful to him, if it does not join in the presenting of a perfect structure.

To-day, stones still need much polishing. There is still many a rough corner here and many an excrescence there to be smoothed away. There is many a human opinion, many a human desire, that must be sacrificed before the stones shall appear in all their beauty and perfection. Then Christian Scientists will do well always to remember to be “lively stones;” or, as our Leader tells us (Poems, p. 76):—

“Be awake;
Like this stone, be in thy place:
Stand, not sit.”