MARY BAKER EDDY was always giving. Regarding that great gift to the world, The Christian Science Monitor, she says (The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 353), "The object of the Monitor is to injure no man, but to bless all mankind." This purpose for the Monitor was characteristic of our Leader, whose warm mother heart was such a clear reflection of the great heart of divine Love. Even while zealously watching over her own flock with protective care, she was ever reaching out beyond the needs of her own particular followers, beyond the confines of her own organization, with tender, yearning love for all mankind.
Her purpose in establishing this newspaper is well interpreted in its issue of September 4, 1934, where we read: "It is the goal of the Monitor to give to its readers a newspaper which will be vital, realistic and comprehensive, which will give to the good news, to the encouraging news and to the constructive news the prominence it rightly deserves. At the same time the Monitor ignores nothing essential to a penetrating understanding of those aggravated social conditions to which readers of the Monitor, particularly, can give healing attention." Consequently, Christian Scientists read their paper not only to be informed, and with the assurance that the information in its columns is reliable, but also to give earnest, prayerful thought to the contents in order that their Leader's purpose for her newspaper be fulfilled.
Every issue of the Monitor contains significant statements—statements which deserve prayerful consideration on the part of those who are interested in the forward march of the world and the betterment of conditions for mankind. In the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," Mrs. Eddy does away completely with the idea of prayer to a far-off, mysterious, manlike God. She accepts God as the great I AM and reveals Him as the all-acting, all-wise Father-Mother, divine Principle, Love. She acknowledges that man is made in God's image and likeness, spiritual and perfect. Ever regarding Christ Jesus as the Way shower, she writes in her beautiful chapter on Prayer in Science and Health (p. 1), "Prayer, watching, and working, combined with self-immolation, arc God's gracious means for accomplishing whatever has been successfully done for the Christianization and health of mankind." Here, then, is the Christianly scientific way to aid humanity, "the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man," which, according to the Bible (James 5:16), "availeth much."
Giving "healing attention" to the problems of mankind as set forth in The Christian Science Monitor is not burdensome to the student of Christian Science, for it simply means praying, and prayer is the Scientist's greatest joy. Prayer is communion with God. Prayer is knowing what is true about God and man. In the sanctuary of prayer the Christian Scientist finds peace and rest. He discerns the difference between suffering, sinning mankind, the Adamic race, and the real man, God's spiritual idea, pure and holy. In this sanctuary he realizes the perfection of God and beholds man as the beloved son, wholly spiritual, needing nothing, already complete, harmonious, satisfied, forever one with his creator. The seeming woes of mankind are seen as illusions, mere impositions that disappear before the light of Truth as does the mist before the sun. This is the Christianly scientific knowing which makes men free. This is the "healing attention" of which the world is in need, and its need can never be truly stilled except through the ministering love of Christian Science.
Problems concerning oneself, human relationships, activity, environment, and supply to some degree claim the attention of all, and would tempt the student of Christian Science to devote all his time and thought to the solving of his own problems, forgetful of the admonition in a loved hymn (Christian Science Hymnal, No. 360):
Help to bear thy brother's burden,
God will bear both it and thee.
Frequently one's own burdens drop away when the heart reaches out to ease a brother's burden or turns compassionately to the problems of a suffering world.
The alert Christian Scientist cannot go through his day without constantly denying suggestions presented to him over the radio, in the headlines, on the street, in public conveyances, and in his business and social contacts. In denying these erroneous suggestions, protesting against them, replacing them in consciousness with true ideas, the Christian Scientist is praying as Jesus prayed, and good will result. In the same way he can give specific attention to the problems presented in the columns of the Monitor, knowing that whatever the form of inharmony reported, it is unreal and powerless when faced with the omnipotence of God, good.
Christian Scientists who are willing to watch lest precious moments be lost in idle, negative thinking or in fruitless endeavor will find time to read their newspaper, and to pray that God's kingdom come, His will be done upon earth, knowing full well that in reality His kingdom is come, and that there is no will but the divine will. Thus will they help fulfill their Leader's loving purpose that the Monitor shall bless all mankind.
One subscriber's experience in regard to this newspaper might well be labeled "The Evolution of a Monitor Reader," for it is probably typical of thousands of others. Having grown up in a large family, she passed through a period of unutterable loneliness when she first left home. She missed the dinner-table discussions of world affairs, the evenings devoted to family readings and to attending concerts and plays. Then she found the Monitor and her needs were met, for in it she found news of world scope, editorials of interest, information regarding art, drama, and music, and The Home Forum page. This page in a most satisfying way took the place of the precious family circle reading and chatting in the living room at night, with this member and that member expressing himself or sharing thoughts from a book at hand.
Later, as a mother, she found the wholesome fun of the Daily Features page, the delightful tales of the children's section, the interesting columns for young people, and the helpfulness of the educational and women's pages were of inestimable value. Even investments were taken care of through perusal of articles on finance. Then, as thought reached out beyond self and home to the needs of all mankind, this subscriber searched the Monitor for the penetrating, discerning articles written by foreign correspondents, wherein one felt the pulse of the world and heard humanity's cry for betterment. Then came the yearning to do something truly effective about that cry, to help fulfill Mrs. Eddy's design for the Monitor. Thereafter, quiet meditation on the great goodness of God, on His omnipresence and omnipotence, accompanied each reading of the Monitor.
Our Leader writes (Science and Health, p. 255), "Eternal Truth is changing the universe." And she continues," 'Let there be light,' is the perpetual demand of Truth and Love, changing chaos into order and discord into the music of the spheres." Christian Scientists who have the privilege and duty of giving "healing attention" to world affairs know it is not they themselves but Christ, eternal Truth, which is changing the universe that mankind may be more richly blessed. "Could ye not watch with me one hour?" was Jesus' question in the garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26:40). The columns of our daily newspaper show that the world is tense and waiting. The need for "prayer, watching, and working, combined with self-immolation" is great indeed. Let the truth be upheld and the disciples not sleep.
