Expressing the love of God

MOST everyone loves to respond to another's offering of love! It's like a flower that has just opened its face to the sun. Perhaps that is why we enjoy young people in love. They express their deep affection with such joy that it adds happiness to those around them. Expressions of love, such as consideration, concern for another's welfare, and spontaneous deeds of kindness, suggest the great love God has for each of His sons and daughters. Christ Jesus knew how this love felt. He said, ``As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.'' 1 Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, found God's love through her deep study of the Bible. Divine Love, God Himself, became such a reality to her that she could write in the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, ``Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need.'' 2 I knew a young couple that strove to express the love of Love toward each other. They had an alert awareness of each other's needs. There were many challenging times for them, but in each instance the ninety-first Psalm comforted them. It begins, ``He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.'' They knew that only good could be there. No disease, unhappiness, misfortune, or lack could be in ``the secret place,'' where God is All. It is filled wit h His love, but unknown to aggression or hatred. The young people were active members of a branch Church of Christ, Scientist, and desired to live, to reflect, the love of God in their lives. They had found a statement in another book by Mrs. Eddy, an encouraging idea that echoed a New Testament precept: ``Love is the fulfilling of the law: it is grace, mercy, and justice.'' 3 They had many opportunities to express this love, especially during the Second World War, when the young woman was a teller in a bank. She enjoyed working there because everyone seemed so cooperative and helpful. Most of the workers had sons, husbands, or even fathers serving in the war. This brought a great sense of unity to the group. However, there were times when this unity was broken. This usually happened as they were making their customers' monthly statements. Errors in compiling figures, impatience, carelessness, and much more impeded the work. She hadn't noticed it the first few months, but then it was brought forcibly to her attention by the sound of bickering and criticism. She longed to pray about the situation, but she knew that stopping her work wasn't feasible. It would slow-up everybody. So she turned to God for a solution. Suddenly an idea came to her! Why not hum a hymn, think of the words, count the money, all at the same time? Without a moment's hesitation she started to hum a loved hymn. The first verse starts with these words: In heavenly Love abiding, No change my heart shall fear; And safe is such confiding, For nothing changes here.4 Before she had finished humming the first verse she heard the teller next to her humming the same tune. The room was very quiet. The bickering had completely stopped. In a moment someone called out, ``Sing something we all can sing.'' Then another said, ``Let's sing `Onward, Christian Soliders.' '' Immediately they all joined in singing the first verse of that rousing hymn. By the time they had finished it, everybody was smiling, and the whole bank seemed fresh and vibrant with love. Each worker went back to her work happy, and satisfied to complete it. From that time on, as long as the young woman worked in the bank, if anyone started to be cross or disagreeable someone would always say, ``Well, I guess we'll all have to sing `Onward, Christian Soldiers' again.'' They would all laugh, and the inharmonious atmosphere would be gone. There was more than just positive thinking (and singing!) to this experience. The woman's desire to heal, to express the very Love that is God, had divine power behind it. The cherishing of some spiritually based, powerful thought, some God-prompted idea, shines away the darkness of conflict, and we find our expression of divine Love being fulfilled. 1 John 15:9. 2 Science and Health, p. 494. 3 Miscellaneous Writings, p. 11. 4 Christian Science Hymnal, No. 148.