Christ Jesus was not impressed or depressed by numbers. Whether alone or with the multitudes, he was conscious of the ever-present Christ, which included his perfect selfhood, and the perfect selfhood of all those about him. He told his disciples, referring to the Christ, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."Matt. 18:20;
How wonderful to know that the presence of the Christ is not dependent on the number of mortals! In a Christian Science Society of few members or a Church of Christ, Scientist, of many members, the Christ is present to the degree that its presence is recognized.
Christ Jesus knew from experience how quickly the admiring multitude could turn into an opposing mob, but he also knew that one person's understanding of the Christ is sufficient to overthrow any claim of evil and make the angry mob impotent. He proved, to use Wendell Phillips' words, "One on God's side is a majority." In Christian Science we do not assume that the number of church members is somehow an indicator of the degree of Christliness present in a community.
