Have been thinking about a conversation I had yesterday with a friend who lives in Tucson, Arizona--the locale of much media attention the past few days. As most readers know, Congresswoman Giffords was shot when she was speaking there.
My friend was shopping for groceries, not at this particular supermarket, and told me he had never felt such an atmosphere of suspicion and hate. There is no doubt this town is the focus of world thought, and is experiencing unusual mental stirring right now.
Every compassionate one among us wants to help in some way. And there is something we can do to do our part in defusing violence in our society. Finding solutions to world hatred begins with the individual, with you and me. And unselfish, Christly love is the remedy. Christian Science, with its emphasis on the teachings of Christ Jesus, shows that it is the irresistible Christ-love, expressing the power of God, divine Love, that humanity needs today.
Every time you and I bring harmony to a discordant situation or truly forgive an injustice, every time we love in the face of hate; every time we realize that man's true being is actually God's spiritual reflection, not a victimized or sinful mortal, we are doing a very important part in defusing violence in the community at large. Why? Because the world's challenges are the culmination of unresolved individual problems and differences.
The ability to express kindness, compassion, forgiveness, does not belong to a chosen few It is natural to all of us, since everyone's real being is the reflection of inexhuastible divine Love.
Regardless of what our occupation may be, our real reason for being is to bear witness to our loving Father, God, to express toward our fellow beings--whether living next door to us or in another country--the love God is unconditionally pouring out to all His children. Of course, it is challenging to love people when they're acting selfish, irresponsibly, even violently. But loving others is not something we are to do only when it's easy or when we feel like it. Jesus asked his followers to express the divine nature day in and day out. He taught, "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God." (Matthew 5:9) We have a divine right to experience peace; but at the same time we have a duty to help make peace. And we can do both as we pray to replace the picture of an erring, violent man with the spiritual and perfect man that Christ Jesus illustrated through his healing works.
"There's no doubt that more Christly love and peace in the world would help a lot right now," someone may say. "But can one person really make a difference?" Decidedly so. There is encouragement in this Bible verse from the book of James: "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (5:16)
And I've found inspiration from something that Mary Baker Eddy writes in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: "When we realize that there is one Mind, the divine law of loving our neighbor as ourselves is unfolded, wherein a belief in many ruling minds hinders man's normal drift towards the one Mind, one God, and leads human thought into opposite channels where selfishness reigns." (page 269)
And the Bible counsels us, "Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous." (I peter 3:8) Doing this gives us a concrete part in healing hate and violence. Taking the time each day to pray from the standpoint of only one Mind, and living the love that comes from the one Mind, from divine Love, bring God's healing power to bear on the fear and anger in our own surroundings. And through this Christlike action, we contribute to world harmony and progress.
