In its ninety-year history, The Christian Science Monitor has won a fair share of journalism awards, including six Pulitzer Prizes. Perhaps more important, it has won readers' hearts to a fairer view of humanity, supplying realism that is both truthful and respectful. The Journal offers this occasional column to record what Monitor readers say this newspaper means to them.
The Monitor introduces me every day to new people, new ideas, new perspectives on life's challenges. It also demands that I confront biases, which restrict useful thinking and learning. When I find myself agitated over a story, an editorial, or an advertisement, I know I need to reconsider my assumptions.
Having a strong bias makes it seem that life consists of a lot of different opinions, with no universal standard. We feel injustice, blame, anger, and worst of all, helplessness. We might wonder, What is the strength of one point of view as compared with the weight of popular opinion?
In the face of all this, I have to reconsider for myself the role of Christ in the midst of the daily news. I seek to establish Christ—that is, the true idea of God that Jesus lived—as my standard for judging. Then I find the authority to think and act in a more useful way. Christ reveals to me the ideal man and woman of God's creating and the government of divine righteousness. This helps me loosen my position as liberal or conservative, left or right, and thereby trust that invisible Principle is operating in every situation. Abandoning opinions for Christ doesn't imply that I have no thoughts; it means that my thoughts are more constructive.
Not long ago the Monitor was presenting a position on an issue that I found to be out of alignment with my perspective. I felt that this particular point of view was an affront to my religious sentiments. When I asked myself what Christ was revealing about it, I realized that the position I objected to was in fact representing a serious concern of many people. My indignation melted into compassion for those who are frightened. Then, rather than stay agitated, I was glad to be alerted to do something about it. The role of the Monitor was to show me the mental weight this issue holds in society; otherwise, I would never have thought to care about it. With Christ as my standard, I could express a more thoughtful interest in others' well-being. It awakened in me a desire to pray more intelligently for the solution that blesses everyone.
Christianity establishes Christ as the one model, the basis of moral judgment. This guides us out of reaction and condemnation and leads to a better understanding of God's present capacity to govern His children on earth.
