Editorials

IT DAWNED ON ME A WHILE BACK how much of an oddsmaker the human mind tends to be! Constantly weighing the probabilities and whispering in our ear, it insists, "Come on, how likely do you think that is?" The question may come up in relation to anything from getting through a traffic jam to the expectation of a quick recovery from an illness. Being drawn into the weighing of so-called odds—whether for ourselves or others—is obviously unproductive, but it also betrays something more.

THE VIVID COLORS OF SPRING FLOWERS in the meadows, the majesty of powerful waterfalls, the quiet reflection of the sky on a small pond—just a few of the many ways that nature expresses the beauty, freshness, and continuity of divine Life. They inspire us to expect in our own life the same qualities.

THE WORLD NEEDS HELP. These days the news often seems saturated with images of war, health crises, poverty, environmental fears, ethnic and racial oppression.

"THERE'S SO MUCH OUT THERE to be anxious about," said my early-morning caller. "Every time you turn on the TV there's news of disease.

AS A NATURAL SCIENTIST WHO IS ALSO A CHRISTIAN Scientist, I'm sometimes asked if I believe in creation or evolution. By the term creation, the questioner is generally referring to the idea that man was made of dust by the Lord God of the Bible (Genesis 2) about 6,000 years ago.

IN MY CONTINUING QUEST to become a more effective Christian healer, I find invaluable guidance in the Manual of The Mother Church. I take seriously what its author, Mary Baker Eddy, said about the value to healers of this amazingly concise document: "Of this I am sure, that each Rule and By-law in this Manual will increase the spirituality of him who obeys it, invigorate his capacity to heal the sick, to comfort such as mourn, and to awaken the sinner" ( The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p.

ONE THING ALWAYS MARRED MY ENJOYMENT of my beloved London skyline—the numerous clunky construction cranes littering the horizon in contrast to the outline of my favorite classic and modern buildings. That is, until a friend, alive to the metaphysics of Christian Science, came to visit.

A SMALL VILLAGE IN THE MIDDLE EAST some two thousand years ago. Something that would hardly be noticed under ordinary circumstances has just occurred.

WHAT DOES A DRIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT through the deserted streets of Denver have to do with Thanksgiving? Well, I can tell you it meant everything to me in understanding that our beloved holiday is about far more than recounting our blessings. It's about thanking God for benefits flowing continuously —even when they're hard to see.

THE BIBLE GIVES US FIVE SHORT VERSES that contain so much meaning in their simple description of a gathering of friends—two sisters, Mary and Martha, and Jesus (See Luke 10:38-42 ). They have come together to share a meal much as friends today would do.