We’ve been watching Downton Abbey the last few weeks via our cable company’s “on-demand” section and are finally caught up.  It’s been an interesting experience—beautiful scenery, very fine acting, and good writing.

One of the important things that I’ve seen in this series though is an ongoing reform in some of the characters’ sense of their identities as they gradually break away from a false sense of nobility.  A false sense that causes them to hurt others as well as themselves, and misguides and limits them at every turn.  A sense that pervades their thoughts and actions irrespective of whether they are “the nobility” or the servants.

And even though this is just a television series, I find myself asking how many of us are also being motivated by such a mistaken perception?

What do I mean by that?

Well, nobility is a spiritual quality—one of spiritual dignity, a magnanimous and generous character, of spiritual bravery and intrepidness.  It also entails selflessness and self-sacrifice.

Error, however, always presents our thought with an inverted and perverted materially-based view of all that is real and eternal—a view that may seem pleasing or even satisfying, but one that is ultimately self-destructive.

And entwined with this wrongful thought of nobility is another deleterious component—one that would subtly try to tempt those of a spiritual thought into accepting it.

Martyrdom!  Yes, martyrdom—backed by all of the theological misconceptions of the ages–would try to convince us that suffering and/or dying for a cause or principle is a right and noble activity, when it is in fact the exact opposite!

Martyrdom is not God’s intention for us.  Overcoming, not acquiescing to, the beliefs of suffering, disease, sin, or death is what is required of us and is what we are empowered by Almighty God to do through our ever-unfolding understanding of Christian Science.

For example: I’ve had folks call me for help who have been abused by their spouses as well as their adult offspring. These dear ones had been under the delusion that they were being christianly noble by turning “the other cheek”—by allowing the abuse to continue.  Such mesmerism blinded them to not only the truth about their real identities as God’s precious ideas—ideas that are incapable of being abused—but simultaneously prevented the abusers from reforming by allowing it to go on unchecked.   When they became aware of how they had been manipulated by error and how such thinking had nothing to do with Christianity, let alone Christian Science, their lives began to change for the better.

So where does this leave us?

We need to examine our thought carefully and see if we’ve bought into any of these lies about nobility and martyrdom.

Mary Baker Eddy wrote:

We must form perfect models in thought and look at them continually, or we shall never carve them out in grand and noble lives. Let unselfishness, goodness, mercy, justice, health, holiness, love — the kingdom of heaven — reign within us, and sin, disease, and death will diminish until they finally disappear. (Science and Health, p. 248)

Those “grand and noble lives” that Mrs. Eddy spoke of come about through our gaining an understanding of who we each are as God’s creation—of our indestructible relationship to our all-good God.  A relationship that inevitably brings healing to ourselves and others.

In her book The First Church of Christ, Scientist and Miscellany (p. 253), she wrote:

It rejoices me to know that you know that healing the sick, soothing sorrow, brightening this lower sphere with the ways and means of the higher and everlasting harmony, brings to light the perfect original man and universe. What nobler achievement, what greater glory can nerve your endeavor?

Indeed—what nobler achievement can there be?

What’s in a word?  Shakespeare had his character Juliet declaim “What’s in a name? that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet…” indicating that it was not the name that was important, but the identity.

Yet the great bard chose his words carefully.  The words we use convey meaning—convey ideas and concepts—and the usage and awareness of them is of significance.

This is particularly true for Christian Scientists where words and their correct context may indeed have spiritual impacts—impacts that can lead to or away from healing or being healed.

Recently, I’ve become aware of some of my Christian Science friends either using in conversation or posting links on Facebook to a certain word.

What is it?

Soulmate.

Now, this may seem like a fairly innocuous term—even pleasant—so why would I be concerned about it?  It connotes a happy state in a relationship, doesn’t it?

On the surface, perhaps.  But when we actually think about the word and its origins, a different picture emerges.  It traces its roots back to ancient Greek mythology which purports that the gods divided previously androgynous humanity into genders whose souls would long for each other to be complete. In Judaism the beliefs of fate and destiny are added to the longing of separate souls.  While in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, theosophy and Edgar Cayce take up the term in which reincarnation and karma now become intertwined with it.

Therein lies the problem.  Incomplete souls.  Identities that would need another individual—that “perfect soulmate”—to make us complete, to bring us true happiness and fulfillment.  A word that is so imbued with pantheistic beliefs that it really is the antithesis of Christian Science.

Only our immutable relationship with God—a perfect relationship which has always been and will always be—brings happiness and love—love from divine Love, God, Himself.  If our relationships are based on seeking happiness in another human being, then we are in effect forsaking God and worshipping other gods.  And for a Christian Scientist to be thinking and accepting the false concept of individual souls is in itself a problem since only God is Soul and we are each the reflection and expression—the image and likeness—of Almighty, all-good, all-whole God.

Our happiness, whether we’re single or married (and one state is not more holy than the other), can only come from understanding our true relationship—a relationship that is entirely spiritual—to our Father-Mother God.  It’s in that understanding that we find completeness, that we find fulfillment—that we find that Love, God, is the only source of our being.  And it’s spiritually understanding this fact that leads to meaningful relationships with others—relationships that bless and heal.

But if we’re buying into, intentionally or not, a false concept that is loaded with false theology, can we really expect that our healing practices or the healings that we’re seeking won’t be adversely affected?  Can we expect to find happiness and completeness in any of our activities if they’re based on even one false concept?

Mary Baker Eddy’s Miscellaneous Writings (p. 118) states:

To obey the principle of mathematics ninety-nine times in one hundred and then allow one numeral to make incorrect your entire problem, is neither Science nor obedience.

A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but a name—a word—may not be as sweet as we think.

Those of a certain generation will recall the 1960’s and ‘70’s TV ad of a little boy named Anthony dashing through Boston’s North End to get home in time for supper because Wednesday was Prince Spaghetti Day!

But for Christian Scientists, Wednesdays have a very different significance.  It’s the day that Christian Science churches around the world hold their Testimony Meeting—a service in which attendees testify as to how Christian Science has enabled them to overcome diseases, financial and employment problems, emotional and relationship issues, or any other problem that we all encounter in our experiences.  It’s a time for healing and inspiration.

This meeting, along with the Sunday Service, is required of all Christian Science churches—and by extension their members.

Yet in many branch churches, a fair number of members do not attend those mid-week meetings.

So when did we get to feel that our attendance at this very important meeting was optional—a meeting established by Mary Baker Eddy?

In her Church Manual, Mrs. Eddy stated:

Testimony in regard to the healing of the sick is highly important. More than a mere rehearsal of blessings, it scales the pinnacle of praise and illustrates the demonstration of Christ, “who healeth all thy diseases” (p. 47)

If our testimonies of healing do indeed fit her description—and they certainly should—then how could we at all feel that this is not a demand on us to be present, publicly praising God and proclaiming what the Science of the Christ has done and is doing for us in our lives?

Don’t we all have healings to relate to others?  Haven’t we all been learning things in our study of Christian Science that we can share?

Can we actually be made to believe that it is God who is telling us that our presence and support are not needed?  That we shouldn’t have to testify to the good that He/She has given us?

In other words, what whisperings of the “serpent” are gently blowing on the tympanum of your thought to keep you away?

Perhaps you feel you have so much on your plate with work, family, social obligations, etc., that to attend the Wednesday meeting is just too much—that it’s overload.  I understand busy schedules, but shouldn’t we be making sure that spiritual requirements are the top priority in our lives?  A priority that will bless all of our activities?  A priority that, of even greater import, will help bless and heal someone else?

And think about this:

When all men are bidden to the feast, the excuses come. (Science and Health, p. 130)

So here’s a basic question to ask ourselves—one that cuts right to the heart of the matter: Do we believe that Mrs. Eddy knew what she was doing when she instituted these two weekly services or not?

If we’re Christian Scientists, our answer should only be in the affirmative.  And if so, then we’d better start coming through and living up to what our Leader requires of us.

And remember, unlike Anthony, the feast we’re partaking of on Wednesdays is truly nourishing.

Wednesday is Christian Science Testimony Day!