Thank you, Achim. As Clerk, I'm in touch with members from all over the world every day. What a privilege! In many ways, members are like the disciples that followed Jesus. Jesus' disciples surely received strength and support from one another. Yet Jesus' teaching did not include urging them to huddle together, keeping what they had learned to themselves. Rather, he sent them into the world to "preach the gospel to every creature" Mark 16:15.—to respond to the needs of humanity with the healing Christ.
It's understandable that the disciples might have wanted to close their ranks. Surrounded by many who didn't understand, they may well have hungered for the security of huddling with the few who did—and of not talking about Jesus' message in public.
We are the disciples of today. And who of us hasn't experienced similar feelings? Maybe you are the only Christian Scientist in your family, or city, or even in your country. You no doubt yearn for the opportunity to just sit and talk with another reader of Science and Health. Fortunately, Mary Baker Eddy understood—she knew what it was like to be the only Christian Scientist in the world. She established a church—a faith community—to forge a foundation of spiritual healing.
