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 19th 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).
I'm so glad you did that research. I do remember that it was Adlai Stevenson who used the phrase.
ReplyDeleteThank you, most efficient Editor. I'm feel sure I read about in The Christian Science Monitor.