Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-04-04

| So general is the belief that opportunity
| rejected Is never succeeded by fresh OPP
| portunity, that even the most loving
friends Of the prodigal keep fearing and
! thinking and saying: He has lost his
opportunity This grievous burden Of
discouraging thought, to which the prod
| igal himself contributes, letters him as
with iron chains.
! THE prodigaPs troubles have been the
result of a two-fold thought. He be-
| lieved that following his own will would
! bring satisfaction. and, that expectation
disappointed, he fell into the slough OF
! despOnd, and experienced despair Chris
| tian Science shows both these conditions
| to be false, and because false unreal, and
subject to destruction When self-will is
cast out and the Christ thought enters,
the prodigal son disappears and the child
of God appears. Mary Baker Bddy, on
! page 497 of the textbook, writes we
! acknowledge Gods forgiveness OF sin IN
| the destruction Of sin and the spiritual
| understanding that casts out evil as un-
real. But the belief in sin is punished
SO long as the belief lasts.
"There is no past that is irreparable,
but let no one think that he can lie su-
pinely down in the far country and with
be brought back to the land of renewed
opportunity and peace. He must himself
arise.
MAY HONESTLY
YEARN FOR HOME.
THE prodigaI in the far country may
| begin to long for a return to the father s
house, and MAJ honesty say: I Will arise
and go unto my father; but he will ma
! it hard to do so without aid. Here the
| Christian Science textbook, Science and
! Health with KY to the Scriptures Chris
| tian Science services, Christian Science
reading rooms, Christian Science practi-
TONERS, Christian Science lectures and the
! ~, CT inc lty
! provided for his help. Through these
avenues, many men, happy and bless d
/ today, have come up out OF bitter past
! into their Fathers house.
/ I'VE could note a difference between
the case of the prodigal son and that OF
the one designated the straying pilgrim.
The prodigal son made deliberate
! break He openly declared his purpose
Of departing from the fathers house.
There was no mystery about his actions.
His motives were unconcealed; rms Is
much may be said OF the prodigal son or
every age; he is not deceiver. On the
other hand, the straying pilgrim does
| not openly repudiate; he betrays. the
elder brother in the parable did not go
away from home physically; but mental
/ ly he took long journey away from the
fathers house. This is shown by. his
unloving thought when the prodigal re-
| turned. The faithless one Of the Apos-
tolic Twelve never openly renowned
/ Christianity. OutWarQlY Ne EculdlHcu a
member Of the Apostolic group and
/ claimed the privileges incident to 1t. But
/ in reality he strayed afar off. SO far that
! he betrayed his Master. Yet he VINO pc
trayed Jesus need not have committed
/ suicide. The reparahle past belonged 10
/ him, on this plane of existence, that 49,
! In this so-called life. He might have
| knelt Mt the foot Of the cross q redeemed
/ man with peace in his heart. But mixed
with his repentance there seems to have
/ been n bitter. remorseful sense Of dis
iappointed self-interest, and this self In
/ teregt shut out that real humility which
/ must always precede renewal of oppor.
tunity. The example OF the betrayer OF
/ Jesus is a forever warning to all or US.
/ He was called and trusted by the oest
( man that ever lived. He was associated
with the Master and knew what was re-
quired OF those who dwelt with the Mas
! ter. But self-will and self-interest were
entertained and gratihed, leading direct
Nv TO the betrayal. The Christian CEN
/ turtles afford many similar cases. Re
| gretful as one may be TO recognize the
! fact, yet the great movement OF Chris
I tian Science affords some striking ex-
amples.
/ MARY BAKER EDDY
I EXCEPTIONAL LIFE
/ Mary Baker Eddy, through years OF
patient activity. learned such a measure
/ Of obedience to God-good-that she be-
came the Discoverer and Founder OF Chris
/ tian Science The most rigid scrutiny
Of her earthly life reveals her as an eX-
/ ceptional woman. No mystery "nshrouus
/ her person. She appears TO have Heen SO
sinRle-m minded IN her search for truth
that self-wil, selfimportance, self love