Welcome

The promise of Christmas points the way out of materialism

CHRISTMASTIME OFTEN BRINGS out the best in people—a joy in caring for others, a readiness to forgive. Yet some may feel an absence of love or joy more acutely during the holiday season.

Thanksgiving Day is an occasion with great meaning in the United States and Canada. Yet giving thanks to God is a privilege open to all, year-round.

The close of a century and the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States are sufficient reasons to record and be grateful for signs of progress—and to consider progress in its deepest meaning. The founder of the Journal, Mary Baker Eddy, once observed, "Every step of progress is a step more spiritual" ( The People's Idea of God, p.

The news tells of threats to our future from many directions. These certainly need to be addressed.

Overheard on a recent transpacific flight: two less-than-frequent travelers marveling over the dazzling array of control buttons on their first-class lounge seats. The problem was, there were no instructions telling what all the buttons did.

At this time of year, when school is again a center of activity for so many, it's appropriate to think about what education should do, how to improve it, and especially what it is in the highest sense. Underlying such questions are some vital spiritual issues.

People turn to professional and scientific magazines for insight and self-improvement in subjects of interest to them. We see the Journal as making a similar contribution to those seeking ongoing spiritual education.

A Reader Recently told us about his first encounter with the Journal. The issue included an article by someone who had prayed to understand God as the source of all action after her car broke down.

The Journal asked J. Thomas Black, a frequent contributor, to comment on the relationship of churchgoing to the pursuit of spirituality.