Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-26
CHARITY IS TO
SPREAD TRUTH
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE IDEA OF
GIVING EXPLAINED
ACT SHOULD ENTAIL NO LOSS
TO DONOR
Mental Apathy in Spiritual Matters
Called Besetting Sin of Human
Race-Man Should Dissen1i-
nate knowledge

A certain cynical philosopher once
defined charity as depriving oneself of
something one did not want for the
sake of some one to whom 1t was no
use. The epigram, like the vast ma
jority of epigrams, contains truth set
in exaggeration. The eXaggerations are
manifest, and need no dilating on; the
truth is this. though it is not quite
what the author intended to convey,
that in true charity there is no self
deprivation. Giving, if the motive is
true one, entails no loss to the glver'
even from a human standpoint; that
was the lesson of the Bishops CANDLE
sticks. which Victor Hugo strove to
make plain in Lies Miserables." Civ
ing when it is understood from the
metaphysical standpoint OF Christian
Science means durable riches ana
Righteousness"
Giving ExempIified
To many people the idea of giving is
confined to the presentation of mate
rial substance in some form or anoth-
err. No doubt there are times when
such giving is not only kindly, but hu-
name. Jesus exemplified the former
when at the marriage feast, in Cana
of Galilee, he saved the parents OF
the bride from mourning the disgrace
of having failed to provide sufficient
wine, an unforgivable discourtesy in
thase days; and he eXemplitied the lat
ter when he fed the multitudes which
had come out of the towns and vii
lagos to hear him preach. He never,
however, for one moment implied that
this was the highest form of giving,
though it might be all his hearers were
fitted to receive. The highest form of
giving was the importation of the
knowledge of the Christ, the accept
ance of which, he knew, would place
men beyond the need of further Civ
ing by teaching them how to avail
themselves of the infinite spiritual
supply. The ordinary philanthropist
has some perception, however dim, of
this when he explains that true chart
ty does not consist of dealing out
doles to the poor, but of placing the
poor. in a position to help themselves.
That is why Jesus said it was more
blessed to give than to receive. The
gain of spiritual understanding when
enables any one to minister to their
neighbors' needs signifies more than
anything else the overcoming of hui
man limitations in the perception of
the liberty of the children of God.
Such giving, in the words of Mrs.
Eddy, on page pa of Science and
Health. 'blesses the human family
table, feeding the hungry and giving
living waters to the thirsty"
Fit Themselves to Receive
From one end to the other of Science
and Health, Mrs. Eddy has held this
IL lN1fC fl1n CT nT1fc
of that book. The progress of the
movement is, indeed, dependent on it,
for what each student is able to give
is the test of what he has received,
since to fit yourself to give it is neces-
sary to have first fitted yourself to re-
ceive. To be of value, therefore, to the
movement and to show something of
their gratitude for the textbook by
which they are shaping their lives, the
students of Science and Health need
to strive perpetually to fit themselves
to receive and demonstrate the teach
ing of that book, remembering those
solemn words on page 1857 of it, that
they occupy a position similar to that
which Jesus told his followers of the
first century they occupied as city
set upon a hill which could not be hid.
Jesus followers in the first century
maintained their position on the hill
top by healing the sick, raising the
dead. cleansing the lepers and casting
out demons Their position was in no
way different from that of those WING
call him Master today. He sent them
out to heal the sick with the words
freely We have received, freely give"
but he declared that the power which
they possessed would be possessed in
an even greater degree by every one
who accepted and understood his
teaching in every age and country, and
so he himself made the power to give,
and to give unburdened by any sense
of limitation, the test of mans grasp
of Christianity.
Should Spread Truths