A steady continuous effort - legacy of a great reformer

Retrospection and Introspection – a great reformer’s legacy

Each of us leaves a legacy of some sort – an impression or at least a memory. Some legacies are longer lasting than others; some may be misunderstood.

The life of a great reformer provides a legacy of inspiration and instruction, and the most helpful life is, perhaps, one that is dedicated to the welfare of others. Thus, when we hear of the winners of the “Australian of the Year” award, for example, we expect recipients have made a difference to others through their unselfish and persistent efforts in a particular field of endeavour. These days, such distinctions often go to those involved in medical or scientific research, but what about religious reformers. What is their legacy? Could it include an example of persistence and perseverance?

As far back as 100BC, the Romans were grappling with questions of effective behaviour. Plutarch writes that Quintus Sertorius (125-72BC) once explained the difference between raw brute strength and patient persistence. He had two horses and two riders. One horse was large and handsome and his rider was short and not strong; the second horse was weak, while his rider was tall and powerful. The strong man pulled his horse’s tail with all his might, but could not pull out a single hair; the weaker man pulled out the hairs one by one until the whole tail was bare. The moral of the story, said Sertorius, is that “a steady continuous effort is irresistible” (Plutarch Lives paragraph 7.16).

Mary Baker Eddy was a religious reformer. She epitomised this steadiness and continuity of effort over many years, day by day, moment by moment, in her determination to proclaim and share her discovery of Christian Science – the science of Spirit or the infinite – with the world. Century after century had passed since Jesus’ advent on earth, and Christianity’s impact had been mixed. Eddy longed to see a more practical Christianity in the world and she dedicated her every waking moment to that end. This practicality, though humanly demonstrable, nevertheless followed a wholly spiritual path. Her radical contribution to religion and science was to include the demand to patiently and persistently reason from the basis of the omnipotence of Spirit, not matter. She wrote in her autobiographical work Retrospection and Introspection, p. 58:

               Stating the divine Principle, omnipotence (omnis potens), and then departing from this statement and taking the rule of finite matter, with which to work out the problem of infinity or Spirit, - all this is like trying to compensate for the absence of omnipotence by a physical, false, and finite substitute.  

               With our Master, life was not merely a sense of existence, but an accompanying sense of power that subdued matter and brought to light immortality, insomuch that the people “were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Life, as defined by Jesus, had no beginning; it was not the result of organization, or infused into matter; it was Spirit.

Eddy’s legacy continues to bless and inspire, and the legacy includes eminently practical results. One recent example comes from a woman in California who was diagnosed with glaucoma. After deciding to rely wholly on her understanding of Christian Science to help her solve this problem, she stood firmly and persistently with its basis of the omnipotence of Spirit. She writes:

Life is not a mixture of the material and spiritual… the only true account is the spiritual… I will say, during those many months not a day went by without my giving myself a Christian Science treatment. I didn’t have one glowing spiritual truth that I worked with during this period, and there was no proverbial silver bullet. It was consistency; it was expectancy; it was a refusal to give in to a material diagnosis of deterioration and incurability that resulted in a complete healing of the physical condition. 

(Christian Science Sentinel September 4, 2017 - https://sentinel.christianscience.com/issues/2017/9/119-36/persistent-prayer-brings-healing-of-glaucoma?s=e)

Retrospection and Introspection offers insights into the life of a great reformer.