Editorials

A hundred years.

If we persist in bringing to life's difficulties a correct understanding of God as perfect and of man as created in His likeness, we will see increasing evidence that our true identity is spiritual and perfect. Such persistence toward realizing the genuine harmony inherent in our true nature might be compared in some ways with the biblical occupation of the Promised Land by the children of Israel.

What was the way Christ Jesus healed? Through radical, absolute reliance on the law and power of God! He expected of his followers that they too heal the sick and the sinner. Christian Science confirms that Christian healing is possible today as in the Master's own day.

By introducing the concept of God as absolute Principle— universal, immutable, final, supreme—Christian Science throws new light on the origin, existence, and properties of natural law. From Newton to Einstein, physicists envisioned an orderly "clockwork" universe—a universe of predictable character in everything from microscopic particles to cosmic forces.

The way that Christ Jesus revealed for us requires self-denial. And this self-denial is synonymous with self-sacrifice: the giving up of all beliefs that man is a mortal, an independent material entity, a self-important ego.

Many kinds of circumstances turn Christian Scientists to prayer. They often pray just for the joy of praying and because they love God, the source of all good.

Maybe this is a timely moment for the above topic, because we publish in this issue the annual listing of areas in which Christian Science teachers are holding classes. Also, our lead article deals in some depth with praying effectively, and learning how to achieve that certainly is an important purpose of class instruction in Christian Science.

There may be times when people who pray for their world feel the patient not only is unresponsive but virtually rejects the treatment being given, the spiritual enlightenment offered. Can a patient—whether an individual or the world itself—be helped if he appears to oppose the work done on his behalf? I've often marveled at the courage Christ Jesus displayed in confronting the Gadarene.

Restoration of Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece "The Last Supper" is bringing to light a whole new concept of the painting. In past centuries, other artists have daubed over Da Vinci's original, significantly changing some details.

If there's any single word that can adequately describe the present-day role of the Manual of The Mother Church, that word is "protection"—protection that comes through obedience to the standards it sets. • Protection for the individual, whether an inquirer, a church member, or a patient having Christian Science treatment.