If we were to select a passage from the Bible that represents the very essence of Christian Science, it would be difficult to find a more appropriate one than the account of Jesus' praying after the last supper. Prayer began his ministry, anchored it, and confirmed all that he did. His healings were dramatic; his willingness to forgive, moving. But always, we're brought to the act of his praying.
In John, chapter 17, is found the account of Jesus' prayer. After that historic meal Jesus prays for his followers: "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.... As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world." John 17:15, 18. This prayer reaches over centuries as both a benediction and a commission.
Don't we need to remember all of this during these important weeks when The Christian Science Monitor will be extending its reach through a nightly television news program and through a monthly world magazine?
