Seeking Refuge

Recently the Christian Science Monitor commented on the European refugee crisis as “the greatest mass-movement of people across its borders since World War II.” The Monitor has begun an ongoing series “Seeking Refuge” to follow this crisis. The refugee crisis is also our topic.
First Church of Christ, Scientist, Asheville, NC
KJV II Samuel 22:1-7, 18-20, 31-33
1 …David spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul: 2 And he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; 3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. 4 I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. 5 When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid; 6 The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me; 7 In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears. 18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me. 19 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay. 20 He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me. 31 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him. 32 For who is God, save the LORD? and who is a rock, save our God? 33 God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.
KJV Ps 59:16 1st I
16 …I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble.
KJV Ps 9:9
9 The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
KJV Lev 19:33, 34 (to 1st thyself;)
33 And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. 34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself;
KJV Isaiah 54:2
2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;
KJV Isaiah 55:1 (to 1st waters,)
1 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters,…
KJV Matt 22:34-40
34 …when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
KJV Luke 10:29-37
29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
KJV Hebrews 13:1-3
1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. 3 Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.
KJV I John 3:18 1st let
18 …let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
KJV I John 4:7 1st let, 21
7 …let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

S&H 572:6-8
“Love one an-
other” (I John, iii. 23), is the most simple and profound
counsel of the inspired writer.
S&H 340:23-27
One infinite God, good, unifies men and nations; con-
stitutes the brotherhood of man; ends wars; fulfils the
Scripture, “Love thy neighbor as thyself;” annihilates
pagan and Christian idolatry, – whatever is wrong in
social, civil, criminal, political, and religious codes;
S&H 205:22, 32
When we realize that there is one Mind, the divine law
of loving our neighbor as ourselves is unfolded;
whereas a belief in many ruling minds hinders
man’s normal drift towards the one Mind, one
God, and leads human thought into opposite channels
where selfishness reigns.
When we fully understand our relation to the Divine,
we can have no other Mind but His, – no other Love,
wisdom, or Truth, no other sense of Life, and no con-
sciousness of the existence of matter or error.
S&H 83:7-9
Mortals must find
refuge in Truth in order to escape the error of these latter
days.
S&H 394:17
Experience has proved to the author the fallacy of
material systems in general, – that their theories are
sometimes pernicious, and that their denials are better
than their affirmations. Will you bid a man let evils
overcome him, assuring him that all misfortunes are from
God, against whom mortals should not contend? Will
you tell the sick that their condition is hopeless, unless it
can be aided by a drug or climate? Are material means
the only refuge from fatal chances? Is there no divine
permission to conquer discord of every kind with harmony,
with Truth and Love.
S&H 518:15-19
The rich in spirit help the poor in
one grand brotherhood, all having the same
Principle, or Father; and blessed is that man who seeth
his brother’s need and supplieth it, seeking his own in
another’s good.
S&H 55:16-22
My
weary hope tries to realize that happy day, when man shall
recognize the Science of Christ and love his neighbor as
himself, – when he shall realize God’s omnipotence and
the healing power of the divine Love in what it has done
and is doing for mankind. The promises will be ful-
filled.
S&H 13:2
Love is impartial and universal in its adaptation and
bestowals. It is the open fount which cries, “Ho,
every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters.
S&H 303:28-30
Spiritual man is the image or idea of
God, an idea which cannot be lost nor sep-
arated from its divine Principle.
S&H 304:3-14
It is ignorance and false belief, based on a material
sense of things, which hide spiritual beauty and good-
ness. Understanding this, Paul said: “Nei-
ther death, nor life, . . . nor things present,
nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor
any other creature, shall be able to separate us from
the love of God.” This is the doctrine of Christian
Science: that divine Love cannot be deprived of its
manifestation, or object; that joy cannot be turned into
sorrow, for sorrow is not the master of joy; that good can
never produce evil; that matter can never produce mind
nor life result in death.
S&H 9:17
Dost thou “love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind”?
This command includes much, even the sur-
render of all merely material sensation, affec-
tion, and worship. This is the El Dorado of Christianity.
It involves the Science of Life, and recognizes only the
divine control of Spirit, in which Soul is our master,
and material sense and human will have no place.
S&H 467:1-13
Question. – What are the demands of the Science of
Soul?
Answer. – The first demand of this Science is, “Thou
shalt have no other gods before me.” This me is Spirit.
Therefore the command means this: Thou shalt
have no intelligence, no life, no substance, no
truth, no love, but that which is spiritual. The second
is like unto it, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”
It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one
Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love.
Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact
becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brother-
hood of man will be established.
S&H 559:8-12
The “still, small voice”
of scientific thought reaches over continent and ocean
to the globe’s remotest bound. The inaudible voice of
Truth is, to the human mind, “as when a lion roareth.”
It is heard in the desert and in dark places of fear.





II Samuel 22:1-7, 18-20, 31-33
Ps 59:16 I
Ps 9:9
Lev 19:33, 34 (to thyself;)
Isaiah 54:2
Isaiah 55:1 (to waters,)
Matt 22:34-40
Luke 10:29-37
Hebrews 13:1-3
I John 3:18 let
I John 4:7 let, 21572:6-8
340:23-27
205:22, 32
83:7-9
394:17
495:32
518:15-19
55:16-22
13:2
303:28-30
304:3-14
9:17
467:1-13
559:8-12

Misc 250:14 “Love”
Hymn 458 The Voice of Love
179 Love one another
444 I am the Lord

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