God's divine laws are always in operation, ready and available to act in our behalf in every human experience. No matter the magnitude or type of condition we're facing, nothing is beyond the reach of these laws.
IN SEPTEMBER 2006, The Christian Science Monitor published a series on Colombia titled "The war on drugs" (September 27-29, 2006). The series reported that the violence and corruption engendered by this kind of war affects people from all sectors of the population. According to the report, kidnappings and violence have been decreasing significantly over the last few years. "From 2002 to 2005, the murder rate fell 35 percent—from 28,837 to 18,111 . . . ." And the incidents of kidnapping have also dropped, from nearly "3,000 in 2002 to 800 last year." Though the violence and terror against ordinary citizens has diminished considerably as a result of Colombia's military more effectively enforcing the laws, and the investment of money and training by the United States to help Colombian counter-narcotics special forces, much still remains to do to fight these violent activities.
Our family learned a few years ago how these statistics translate into actual events. One morning three years ago, we were directly affected by the violence that has gripped Colombia. I was living in the United States and received a call from my mother in Bogotá. She asked me to pray for a family crisis. No other member of my family studies Christian Science, but for some of them it very natural to turn to God and pray to find answers.
