Rita Dove, when named to be poet laureate of the United States, talked about her writing in an interview in The Christian Science Monitor. "I keep coming back to the community," she said. "What will always keep you going is that sense of being buoyed up by others, others who understand, others who care, who are maybe going through the same things." Steven Ratiner, "Rita Dove: a Chorus of Voices," The Christian Science Monitor, May 26, 1993, p. 16
What a good feeling it is to be supported by a caring group. Family and friends often provide this feeling of being understood and cared for. As I read the poet's words, I also thought of another way this caring is shown—through the prayers in Christian Science churches. In the Manual of The Mother Church, Mary Baker Eddy writes, "The prayers in Christian Science churches shall be offered for the congregations collectively and exclusively." Manual, Art. VIII, Sect. 5
On the surface, this By-Law may seem quite modest in scope, relating to a certain group of people sitting together for an hour twice a week. Yet the healing potential of praying together is measureless. The Bible recounts many examples of what such unity of purpose achieves. Think of the children of Israel following God's direction, shouting together at Joshua's command, and Jericho's wall falling down flat before them. See Josh. 6:1-16, 20 Or the apostles gathered "with one accord in one place" on the Day of Pentecost. The divine inspiration was so clearly felt that each individual in the multilingual crowd that gathered about them could understand what was said "in his own language." See Acts 2:1-6
