War Relief Fund established

Here is a figure which interests me greatly. “In the year 1918 more than six million copies of The Christian Science Monitor were distributed.”  This is on page 17 of Christian Science War Time Activities.

War was declared in August 1914. A War Relief Fund was established by the Board of Directors of The Mother Church on October 24! There seems to be a thought that they rather dallied in taking that step! All of two months!

Page 24. The Monitor was always in the American Embassy in Paris.

William D. McCrackan was sent by the Board of Directors to Europe to coordinate the distribution of the War Relief Fund, where it was needed, by the CS churches. Churches in England, Germany, France and Switzerland were helped.US$82,104.62 was the total of the Fund. The figure reflects the careful bookkeeping that is emphasised in the book.

Beside that, $29,154.90 was collected for those other than Christian Scientists needing help. Holland, England, France and Switzerland are mentioned. All but $4,508.51 was used up and a call was made for further contributions. The two funds would soon merge into one.

Here is an interesting point about the British Colonies.

Although Christian Scientists in the United Kingdom and the Colonies were naturally most anxious to contribute to The Mother Church Relief Fund, it was then impossible for them to do so under the Defence of the Realm Act, inasmuch as a portion of the fund would be used to aid sufferers in the countries with which the United Kingdom and her Colonies were at war.   Page 30

Now, I find mention of the Defence of the Realm Act fascinating, but I have not found out exactly what this means. At the time the book was written, no doubt it was so well known as to need no explanation.

It is enlightening to read of the type of help given to people in businesses which failed due to the war. Dressmakers, artists and musicians, boarding-house keepers at seaside resorts. Sound slightly familiar? Many who were helped rose up and were able to later contribute to the Relief Fund themselves.

By 1918 the fund was distributing money to help only those who were in actual destitution. Lack of work had been met by work provided in munition factories and kindred activities. We are told that often the relief work healed the destitution. This is where we find that wonderful quote from page ix in the Preface to Miscellaneous Writings 1883-1896 by Mary Baker Eddy:

A certain apothegm of a Talmudical philosopher suits my sense of doing good. It reads thus: The noblest charity is to prevent a man from accepting charity and the best arms are to show and to enable a man to dispense with charity.

I am up to page 34.

Joyce Voysey

Read our book online - free

 Joyce writes:

To read Christian Science Wartime Activities on the computer:

https://archive.org/details/christianscience00firs/page/28/mode/2up?ref=ol&view=theater

Turn pages by arrows at the lower part of the screen.

War in Europe - and a timely response

The book Christian Science Wartime Activities is a marvel. I will quote directly from the book because I know that many people do not have access to it at this point and the story is stirring.

“…the constant desire to help … crystallized itself in the establishment of the War Relief Fund by the Board of Directors of The Mother Church, and … the following announcement appeared in the Christian Science Sentinel of October 24, 1914:

A RELIEF FUND

The many Christian Scientists who have desired to contribute to the relief of those of our people who are enduring the hardships which war entails, will welcome the opportunity afforded by the following letter, a copy of which has been mailed to all branch churches and societies in the United States:

…This Board has been informed that, as a consequence of the war in Europe, Christian Scientists in the countries affected are in great distress. As a means of relieving this distress, The Mother Church will take a collection at both of its services on Sunday October 25. If your organization should desire to take similar action …

Remittances may be sent to Adam H. Dickey, Treasurer…    pp. 21-22

A delegate from the Board of Lectureship was subsequently sent to Europe to organise relief committees in Europe. The delegate sailed from New York November 16, 1914. He met with the Committee on Publication for Great Britain and Ireland in London. A relief committee was formed to administer the funds, which were to be made available to those suffering hardship.

This included

“…families where fathers had been called to the colors, leaving wives and children totally unprepared to earn a living”

“men whose business affairs had been wiped out of existence by the declaration of war”

“students, teachers, artists, who found their livelihood taken away … overnight because people felt forced to do without the so-called luxuries of life”

“Many persons found their income stopped or greatly curtailed because they held securities in some of the countries involved in the struggle”

“In short, there were many cases where Christian Scientists were faced with the problem of demonstrating that supply is invariable and unlimited. To lift the sense of fear for such as these and so enable them to perceive the ever-presence of God’s care, was the aim of the War Relief Fund. In proportion as it was seen that the love which prompted the gifts of Christian Scientists to the fund was the real substance of the help extended, fear was cast out, and individuals were able to dispense with further aid from the fund. Not only so but they were put in a position to help others, thus proving again the spiritual fact that “whatever blesses one blesses all” (SH 206).”  Pp. 22-23

Thus begins the story, which seems very relevant to our own times.

Julie Swannell