With the challenges going on around the world—hunger, regional wars, hostage crises, crime, the threat of nuclear war—one might believe that there is nothing an individual can do to help. How can I help to bring peace to the world? How can I help to avoid hostage crises? How can I reduce crime in my city?
All these questions point to a caring heart that is receptive to a better way of solving our human problems. And Christian Science, discovered and founded by Mary Baker Eddy, offers a revolutionary way of tackling these challenges. For instance, it teaches one to start the search for solutions with self-knowledge. If we look with humility and sincerity at the state of our thought, we will discover that many of the sins we see in the world are making cobwebs in our own thinking. The revenge, hatred, and resentment we see in terrorists we might find in some degree affecting our attitude toward co-workers, church members, and family members. The lack of peace and the continuous misunderstanding apparent in the world's regional wars we might also see in the little wars we engage in at work or at home. The crime in our city may be partly supported by our "insignificant" cheating when buying or selling something or paying our taxes. The violence may be echoed in our harshness with or even physical punishment of our children or spouse.
Healing of these elements of materialism must go on in our lives for it to go on in the world. After speaking of the Christians' "bond of unity"—the Lord's Prayer—Mrs. Eddy prophesies, "If the lives of Christian Scientists attest their fidelity to Truth, I predict that in the twentieth century every Christian church in our land, and a few in far-off lands, will approximate the understanding of Christian Science sufficiently to heal the sick in his name." Pulpit and Press, p. 22. Although it is a wonderfully encouraging promise, it is also a conditional one—conditional on our individual demonstration of Love and Truth.
