A high ideal

Page 244 of this month’s book, Twelve Years with Mary Baker Eddy by Rev. Irving C. Tomlinson, tells us that “Mrs. Eddy held aloft a high ideal for her own sex, in religion, in social welfare, and in statesmanship.”

Tomlinson quotes her: “Our sex seems to be needed at this period to lift the darkness and to cheer the faithful sentinels at their posts of love and duty. God sustains you and will bless you in just this way.”

One can claim it for our period as well. Is it still the women behind the men who have more effective influence in our time?

She is not a contemporary figure, but Eleanor Roosevelt comes to mind. It was reported that Dean Rush, Secretary of State (USA) said at her passing, “She would rather light a candle than complain about the darkness.” Possibly a Chinese proverb*.

Those of us who sometimes find it difficult to go to sleep at night should find the following poem helpful. Mrs. Eddy said of it (Twelve Years, page 272):

“I love to think that my life is hid with Christ in God—with Truth in divine Love. Every night I say over to myself this little verse of the hymn**:

“The Spirit’s sweet control

   Freely we will confess,--

   Fly to Thine out-stretched arms of love,

   And there find health and rest.

                      M.J.H. Zink”

Joyce Voysey

*Ed. A little research reveals that American politician and diplomat Adlai Stevenson famously eulogized Mrs. Roosevelt with the statement, “she would rather light a candle than curse the darkness, and her glow warmed the world.” Apparently, the source of the saying was 19^th century minister Rev. William L. Watkinson who was quoting Thomas Carlyle***, the famous English essayist. (professorbuzzkill.com) 

**Ed. This hymn - Teach us Thy way, O God - was in the Christian Science hymnal 1889, p. 109, but is not in our current hymnal. To see the music and words for the whole hymn see https://hymnary.org/text/teach_us_thy_way_o_god#pagescans

***Ed. Interestingly, Thomas Carlyle has been mentioned previously on this blog site. Here's the entry:

Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) -- a Scottish chap: Sentinel, 25 January 1958. Carlyle is mentioned in Eddy's Message to The Mother Church for 1901, p. 33 and The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, pp. 154, 193. In the latter reference, Mrs Eddy commends Carlyle's sentiment: 'Give a thing time; if it succeeds, it is a right thing' (My 193: 22).

Beauty everywhere

After reading about the "deep waters" (p. 205, Twelve Years with Mary Baker Eddy by Irving Tomlinson) of the Next Friends Suit and Mrs. Eddy's calm trust that she was "safe in His green pastures" (ibid), it is lovely to now read about her love for home.

Those familiar with her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures will recall her statement that "Home is the dearest spot on earth, and it should be the centre though not the boundary, of the affections" (SH 58).

In speaking of her move to Pleasant View, Tomlinson describes the transformation of "what had once been ugly and desolate into a home of beauty, comfort, and peace" as "a splendid example of her vision and foresight" (p. 211, Twelve Years). Her improvements had made the home "almost unrecognizable from its former dilapidated condition" (ibid p. 212). 

Tomlinson remarked that "there was beauty everywhere" (ibid), including lots of flowers.

This reminds me of John Wyndham's experience in setting up business premises when he returned home after having been a prisoner during WW2. He writes (The Ultimate Freedom p. 87): "The premises had been neglected during the war years and looked uninviting and dull to say the least. Again the irresistible urge to beautify came over me. But there seemed to be no way of paying even the smallest amount for such an undertaking."

"My Bible companion book had told me that "Beauty is a thing of life, which dwells forever in the eternal Mind and reflects the charms of His goodness in expression, form, outline, and color" (SH 247). This Mind, which I had learned to trust and listen to, I felt would point the way." 

He was able, step by step, to transform the space such that: "Soon the reception room was a glory of color and beauty, with new desks, built in seats for clients, and a large colored illuminated mural of an orchard in blossom. There were also beautiful arrangements of fresh flowers to feast the eyes on" (p. 89, The Ultimate Freedom).

Blog readers will be most interested to read Tomlinson's observations regarding Mrs. Eddy's intense love of all things beautiful in Twelve Years, especially pp. 211-214. 

He summarizes: "Mrs. Eddy was a deep lover of beauty. She held beauty as symbolizing the purity, the loveliness of Soul" (p. 213). 

Julie Swannell

My breakfast read

I am very much enjoying reading the Irving Tomlinson’s Twelve Years with Mary Baker Eddy. 

I find it works for me to leave the book on the dining table where it has become my breakfast read.

I’ll share two passages that have provoked my thought.

On page 77, Tomlinson recounts that he and his sister were to take up the roles of First and Second Reader In Concord, New Hampshire. When Tomlinson asked Mrs Eddy’s advice about making adequate provision for both home and work, Mrs Eddy’s reply indicates that she recognised that keeping house was a full time occupation for a woman. If she would do the role of healer and Reader well, then that would require all her care and effort, and she couldn’t be expected to keep house as well. “All one’s time is none too much for this and also that of the Readership.” What kindness to his sister!

And what perception of the obligations and commitment involved in doing our work the best we can in any sphere. It requires all our care. This gives an idea of the passage in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures where Mrs Eddy writes: “The devotion of thought to an honest achievement makes the achievement possible” (SH 199:21–22).

This tells me that we need to be wholly committed to God’s work, whatever that may be; that we cannot spread our fire and hope to succeed. It also reflects kindness and insight into the demands placed on women at that time, and of not wanting to overburden Mary Tomlinson. Very touching.

The second passage is on page 89, and this is a big one that we all must confront. Mrs Eddy asked: “What was it that made Jesus the Messiah?” Her answer was that he “loved righteousness and hated iniquity” (Hebrews 1:9). 

She then proceeded to explain that the true Christian must not close his eyes to wrong-doing. He must be willing to uncover the evil in himself and others; to take steps to unmask the wrong-doer and bring the evil-doing to an end. We are not to draw back from our duty of exposing error and thus causing it to be destroyed.

Mrs Eddy said she herself found this so hard. She said she would rather - as we all would - “dwell on love alone and get away from error…”. But she said that would not do; it would allow error to increase.

My favourite sentence here is “We are to do right and leave the consequences to God.”

 Marie Fox