The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1949-03-17
The Neighbor Near
or Far

V should mind ones own bust
ness, but few do it One rca-
son for this may be general
vagueneSs on the whole big sub
iecf of ones individual response
biIity to himself and to others.
Paul said Galatians 6:2), Bear
We one another'S burdens, and so
fulfil the law of Christ" Yet he
added (6:5), For every man shall
bear his own burden" How can
these words be recOnciled?
Individual consciousness under
lies and governs individual. ex-
perience. The burdens OF daily
life are the responsibilities OF
ones own thinking. Both the cares
and the opportunities call on in
dividual resources. But ones
sense of existence takes in much
beyond oneself. Its range may be
worldwide. embracing neighbors
near and far.
When one begins 10 see that his
consciousness of others cans al
ways provide an opportunity to
bless them, he begins to see. 1.-The
law of Christ" fulfilled. John u:9)
speaks of the Christ as "the true
Light. which lighteth every man
that cometh into the world"
Christ Jesus proved this univer-
salty of good. His works con-
firmed his teaching that God,
good, is the Father of all men.
One who pOnders Jesus words
and works sees that to think help
fully of others is the only way to
think of them. Since God is the
Father of all, true consciousness
must always bear witness to His
allness. By this test hateful
thought, an Indifferent or selfish
thought, is not really true. 1t Is
suggestion i'm place of q fact, an
illusion rather than an idea.
Jesus entire ministry turns the
follower, indeed, to wholly new
concept of man, an utterly fresh
view of himself. Ii shows him
that the composite of finite, fear
full, self-centered thoughts usually
referred to as a mortal caricatures
existence. 1t reveals to him mans
perfect Selfhood, not Of the flesh
but spiritual. not temporary but
eternal. The burden of material
life-its struggle. effort. uncer-
tainty. and frustration-Inelts into
nothingness as one begins to
recognize and claim the glory OF
everlasting iodlikeness.
How different from what one
formerly supposed, then, Is the
consideration of minding ones
own business. For very differ
ent business comes to view. Here
is a spiritual activity, q beautiful
procedure, involving not cailOus
indifference to others, nor over
jealous concern for them, but the
actual bringing forth of ones own
Godlikeness.
Both seiiishness and busybodi-
ness are rooted in the belief that
good is limited. One wears blind
e-s only if he fears that anothers
demand will Overtax him.
When self centeredneSS, self.
consciousness, and seif-impOrt-
ance yield before the fact that
God, good. is the Father Of all.
vision expands. As Mary Baker
Eddy, the Discoverer and Found
er Of Christian Science. once
wrote to The Mother Church
message for 1902. PIP. 3. ~.
spiritual love makes man con-
scious that God is his Father. and
the consciousness of God as Love
gives man power with untold fur
therance." ...... -
Today people everywhere. in
countries suffering from the raw
ages of war and in countries
struggling with problems Of
peace, need } awaken to the in
finity of God. The follower OF
Jesus knows that his own prayer
10 become more actively con-
scious of Gods infinite goodness
is helping to bring the answer
the proof that God is good. God
Is creative; His law. as the Psalm
list says, converts the soul and re-
ioices the heart. not Of one only
hut of alt 1.-The Ch,istiGn