A little over a hundred years ago, on February 25, 1889, Mary Baker Eddy, addressing a Christian Science class she had taught, described some Bible accounts, or "picture-stories," she found particularly important. The first was of the battle of Jericho. Exploring the spiritual import of this story and of her next choice, she said: "The second picture is of the disciples met together in an upper chamber; and they were of one mind. Mark, that in the case of Joshua and his band they had all to shout together in order that the walls might fall; and the disciples, too, were of one mind.
"We, to-day, in this class-room, are enough to convert the world if we are of one Mind; for then the whole world will feel the influence of this Mind; as when the earth was without form, and Mind spake and form appeared."Miscellaneous Writings, pp. 279-280.
Perhaps one could say the walls that surrounded Jericho were walls of fear and hatred, walls that divided, walls constructed to keep the inhabitants confined to their own beliefs and to keep out any others. A united effort, as a result of Joshua's obedience to God, broke down those walls of resistance. Joshua did not zealously rush in to tear down the walls. He listened to God's direction first, then followed through by taking the steps that were required of him. Each individual in Joshua's group had his part to play, however; and each was needed to break down that wall. In the same way, each one of us is needed, and each one of us has an important job to do in breaking down walls that would divide us in church.
