Providing food, schooling, clothing, housing, and a loving home atmosphere is essential for the care and raising of a child, but it is just part of the true substance of this trust. The Christian Scientist finds that the greatest challenge lies in demonstrating the purest sense of parental love by providing for spiritual education and growth. This should always precede, and form the foundation for, the physical care, academic education, and social and moral development of the child.
The carnal mind, evil, would materialize the budding consciousness in which the parent is lovingly nurturing spirituality. So it is wise to respond to Mrs. Eddy's challenge in Science and Health: "The entire education of children should be such as to form habits of obedience to the moral and spiritual law, with which the child can meet and master the belief in so-called physical laws, a belief which breeds disease." Science and Health, p. 62;
This requirement includes much and can seem to impose an overwhelming task, as much of a child's education seems to be beyond the parent's control. Therefore we need to view the task from a spiritual standpoint, being alert to the duty of protecting and spiritualizing the thought of our children and of teaching and encouraging them to think things out and pray for themselves.
